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TOEFL Academic Discussion Writing Sample: 1. Decisive factor for long-term friendship Your professor is teaching a class on psychology. Write a post responding to the professor’s question.

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Task Overview

Professor

Professor: When people are asked about the decisive factor in determining the lasting time of friendship, they usually mention something very obvious, like being friendly or kind. But there are thousands of other elements that have a huge impact on how long we maintain our relationship with friends. What factors—other than friendliness and kindness—would you choose as being important in your long-term relationship with your friends? Why?

Student A

Wendy: Common interests with friends help us to stay connected over a long time. With common interests, we could have so many shared experiences. For example, if you both love cooking, you could try out a new recipe together. Or every time an episode of your favorite show comes out, you could talk on the phone. We all have moments like this and this shared interest is like an anchor that generates exclusivity between you and your friends, which could cement or solidify the friendship.

Student B

Jacobs: I think long-term friendship requires a reciprocal commitment. That means the exchange of something between people. For example, helping each other during crisis is a decisive factor to deepen our intimacy with friends. When our friends are having a rough week, a phone call, a patient listening, or a care package of snacks to them would help turn a whole week.

User Samples & Evaluation Results

User Sample

In my opinion, I would choose education level as an important factor to maintain friendship. With similar education level, we could exchange various opinion on social issues and get a improvement from others. Take my own experience as an example. I’m an undergraduate student study in history. I can share the history knowledge or story to other major students who also is an undergraduate student, as we have similar level for understanding of knowledege. In conclusion, I firmly darw the conclusion that education level is an important factor to maintain friendship.

Evaluation Result

1. 子项得分

Relevance and Contribution to Discussion: 3.5 Clarity and Elaboration of Viewpoint: 3.0 Language Use and Grammar: 3.0

2. 预估分数

20. 3 任务完成度

从任务完成度的角度来看,这篇文章在一定程度上回答了教授的问题,但仍有改进的空间。首先,文章的字数不足100字,需要扩展内容以满足要求。其次,在论述观点时可以加入更多具体的例子和细节来支持观点。最后,注意使用恰当的词汇和语法结构。

示例1(英文): Instead of just mentioning that education level is an important factor, you could provide specific examples of how having a similar education level can lead to deeper conversations and understanding between friends.

示例2(英文): You could also discuss other factors, such as trust and loyalty, which are essential for maintaining long-term friendships, and provide examples of how these factors play a role in your relationships with friends.

4. 文章结构与组织

从文章结构与组织的角度来看,这篇文章有明确的结构,包括引言、正文和结论。然而,在逻辑组织方面还有待加强。每段落应该专注于一个特定的观点,并提供支持细节。同时,在段落之间需要添加清晰的过渡。

建议1(简体中文): 在引言部分,可以先简要提及其他可能的因素,然后再引出自己认为最重要的因素,以增强文章的逻辑性。

示例1(英文): In the introduction, you could mention that while there are many factors that contribute to long-term friendships, you believe that having a similar education level is particularly important.

建议2(简体中文): 在正文部分,可以分段讨论不同方面的例子和细节,以使文章更具说服力。

示例2(英文): In the body of the essay, you could discuss how having a similar education level can lead to more meaningful conversations and shared experiences, as well as how it can help friends understand and support each other's goals and aspirations.

5. 语法批改

In my opinion, I would choose education level as an important factor to maintain friendship. With similar education level, we could exchange various opinion on social issues and get aan(Use of 'a' vs. 'an') improvement from others. Take my own experience as an example. I’m an undergraduate student studyin study(This rule identifies whether the preposition 'in' is missing in a sentence.) in history. I can share the history knowledge or story to other major students who also is an undergraduate student, as we have similar level forof(This rule identifies wrong preposition usage.) understanding of knowledegeknowledge(misspelling). In conclusion, I firmly darwdark(misspelling) the conclusion that education level is an important factor to maintain friendship.

Decisive Factor for Long-term Friendship

In my perspective, a significant factor in sustaining long-term friendships is the similarity in educational backgrounds. Sharing a comparable level of education allows friends to engage in meaningful discussions on various social issues and learn from one another. Drawing from personal experience, as an undergraduate history student, I find it enriching to share historical knowledge and stories with peers who also possess an undergraduate understanding of the subject matter. This mutual exchange of ideas fosters intellectual growth and strengthens the bond between friends, making education level an essential element in maintaining lasting friendships. (98 words)

In my opinion, I would choose perspective [revised for a more formal tone], a significant factor in sustaining long-term friendships is the similarity in educational backgrounds [clarified the main idea]. Sharing a comparable level of education level as an important factor allows friends to maintain friendship. With similar education level, we could exchange engage in meaningful discussions on various opinion on social issues and get a improvement learn from others. Take my own experience one another [added detail for clarity]. Drawing from personal experience, as an example. I’m undergraduate history student, I find it enriching to share historical knowledge and stories with peers who also possess an undergraduate student study in history. I can share the history knowledge or story to other major students who also is an undergraduate student, as we have similar level for understanding of knowledege. In conclusion, I firmly darw the conclusion that subject matter [rephrased for better flow and clarity]. This mutual exchange of ideas fosters intellectual growth and strengthens the bond between friends, making education level is an important factor to maintain friendship.essential element in maintaining lasting friendships [summarized the main point and provided a strong conclusion].

8 思维导图


1. Introduction
   - Decisive factor for long-term friendship
   - Importance of educational background similarity

2. Meaningful discussions
   - Engaging in various social issues
   - Learning from one another

3. Personal experience
   - Undergraduate history student
   - Sharing historical knowledge and stories

4. Mutual exchange of ideas
   - Fostering intellectual growth
   - Strengthening bonds between friends

5. Conclusion
   - Education level as an essential element in maintaining lasting friendships

9 关键词

WordPhonetic SymbolPart of SpeechEnglish DefinitionSimplified Chinese TranslationSample Sentence
Decisive/dɪˈsaɪsɪv/AdjectiveSettling an issue; producing a definite result决定性的The decisive factor for long-term friendship is the similarity in educational backgrounds.
Sustain/səˈsteɪn/VerbStrengthen or support physically or mentally维持,支持Sharing a comparable level of education helps sustain long-term friendships.
Comparable/kəmˈpærəbəl/Adjective_Able to be likened to another; similar_可比较的,相似的Sharing a comparable level of education allows friends to engage in meaningful discussions.
Engage/ɪnˈɡeɪdʒ/_Verb_Occupy, attract, or involve (someone's interest or attention)_吸引,参与Engaging in various social issues helps friends learn from one another.
Undergraduate/ˌʌndərˈɡrædʒuət/_Noun_A university student who has not yet received a first degree_本科生As an undergraduate history student, I find it enriching to share historical knowledge with peers.
Enrich/ɪnˈrɪtʃ/_Verb_Improve or enhance the quality or value of_充实,提高Sharing historical knowledge and stories enriches our understanding of the subject matter.
Foster/ˈfɒstər/_Verb_Encourage or promote the development of (something, typically something regarded as good)_培养,促进This mutual exchange of ideas fosters intellectual growth and strengthens friendships.
Intellectual/ˌɪntəˈlɛktʃuəl/AdjectiveRelating to the intellect智力的Intellectual growth is an essential element in maintaining lasting friendships.
Bond/bɒnd/NounA force or feeling that unites people纽带Strengthening bonds between friends is crucial for sustaining long-term friendships.
Essential/ɪˈsɛnʃəl/AdjectiveAbsolutely necessary; extremely important必要的,极其重要的Education level is an essential element in maintaining lasting friendships.

How Academic Discussion Is Scored

The TOEFL Academic Discussion task is evaluated based on the official ETS scoring rubric. AI evaluation analyzes each response across multiple dimensions.

Relevance & Contribution

Does the response address the question and contribute meaningfully to the discussion?

Language Use

Grammar accuracy, vocabulary range, and sentence structure quality.

Development & Support

Are ideas well-developed with specific examples and clear reasoning?

Common Patterns Across Responses

Based on analysis of user submissions for this task, here are common patterns observed in student responses.

Many students provide clear opinions but lack specific supporting examples.

Strong responses directly reference the reading passage and other speakers' viewpoints.

Higher-scoring responses use varied sentence structures and academic vocabulary.

Time management is a key factor — responses that feel rushed tend to score lower on development.

Learning Tips

1

Read the prompt carefully and identify all parts of the question before writing.

2

Reference the reading passage and the other students' opinions in your response.

3

Use specific examples to support your main point — avoid generic statements.

4

Aim for 120-150 words. Longer responses are not always better; clarity and focus matter more.

5

Practice timed responses (10 minutes) to build fluency under exam conditions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the TOEFL Academic Discussion task?
The TOEFL Academic Discussion task requires you to contribute to an online classroom discussion. You'll read a professor's question and other students' responses, then write your own post expressing and supporting your opinion in about 10 minutes.
How is the Academic Discussion task scored?
The task is scored on a scale of 0-5 based on relevance to the discussion, quality of language use (grammar, vocabulary, sentence structure), and how well you develop and support your ideas with specific examples and reasoning.
What are the user samples on this page?
These are real responses submitted by TOEFL test-takers who practiced this question on LingoLeap. Each sample has been evaluated by our AI scoring engine, which provides a score and detailed feedback on strengths and areas for improvement.
How accurate is the AI evaluation?
LingoLeap's AI evaluation engine is trained on official ETS scoring rubrics and calibrated against human rater scores. While no automated system is perfect, it provides reliable feedback for practice purposes and helps identify specific areas for improvement.
How can I practice this Academic Discussion task?
You can practice by signing up for a free LingoLeap account. Write your own response to this exact question, submit it, and receive instant AI evaluation with detailed feedback on your writing.
How long should my Academic Discussion response be?
Aim for 120-150 words. The task gives you 10 minutes to write your response. Focus on clarity, supporting your opinion with specific examples, and referencing the discussion context rather than writing a longer response.

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