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TOEFL TPO -1 Academic Discussion Writing Sample: Consider the advantages of each. Would it generally be better for a new university graduate to begin working for a large, established company, or for a small start-up company? Why?

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Task Overview

Professor

When students are preparing to graduate from university, they need to make decisions about what kind of company they want to work for. They might consider large, older companies with an established reputation, or possibly new start-up companies, which tend to be small but very focused on the future. Consider the advantages of each. Would it generally be better for a new university graduate to begin working for a large, established company, or for a small start-up company? Why?

Student A

l think in general, the established company is the better choice. Because they're already well-known, these companies have a certain amount of respect in the business community, so it would look good to have that job experience on your resume. That advantage alone would be a great start for a recent graduate.

Student B

they're already well-known, these companies have a certain amount of respect in the business community, so it would look good to have that job experience on your resume. That advantage alone would be a great start for a recent graduate.

User Samples & Evaluation Results

User Sample

In my opinion, I wholeheartedly concur with Andrew's stance that taking position at a small start-up company provides more excitement. Moreover, I would like to emphasize that small corporation could offer more opportunities for promotion as well. Drawing from personal experience, I once worked for a prestiguous company where I worked really hard for 3 years to get promoted. Nevertheless, after 3 years' suffer, I was still a junior worker. And fortunately, things changed after I shifted to a small company, my capability was valued by the leader and I got promoted several times. While Keslly argued that working experience of the established company look pretty on resume, but it is essential to recognize it is the skills you truly learned from the experience matter. Consequently, I firmly believe working for a small company serves as an effective means for young people to grow up.

Evaluation Result

1. 子项得分

  • Relevance and Contribution to Discussion: 4.0

  • Clarity and Elaboration of Viewpoint: 3.5

  • Language Use and Grammar: 3.5

2. 预估分数

23. 3 任务完成度

整体来说,这篇文章回答了题目的问题,并提出了对于新毕业生来说,选择小公司的优势。然而,文章中有一些部分可以改进。首先,在论述观点时,可以更具体地举例说明为什么在小公司工作能带来更多的晋升机会。其次,在语言使用方面,需要注意一些语法错误和表达不清晰的地方。

改进建议:

  1. 在论述观点时,尝试给出具体的例子或数据支持。

  2. 注意检查语法错误,并确保表达清晰。

示例:

  1. "While working at a small company, I was given more responsibilities and was able to showcase my skills, which led to my promotion within just one year."

  2. "In contrast, working for a large company may limit an individual's growth due to the rigid hierarchy and slow decision-making processes."

4. 文章结构与组织

这篇文章的结构基本上是清晰的,包括了引言、正文和结论。然而,在组织方面还有一些可以改进的地方。首先,在正文部分,可以尝试将每个段落聚焦在一个具体的观点上,并提供详细的支持细节。其次,在段落之间使用明确的过渡词或短语,以帮助读者更好地理解文章的逻辑。

改进建议:

  1. 在正文部分,尝试将每个段落聚焦在一个具体的观点上,并提供详细的支持细节。

  2. 在段落之间使用明确的过渡词或短语。

示例:

  1. "One of the main advantages of working for a small start-up company is the opportunity for rapid career growth and promotion."

  2. "On the other hand, large established companies often provide a more stable work environment and better benefits."

5. 语法批改

In my opinion, I wholeheartedly concur with Andrew's stance that taking position at a small start-up company provides more excitement. Moreover, I would like to emphasize that small corporation could offer more opportunities for promotion as well. Drawing from personal experience, I once worked for a prestiguousprestigious(misspelling) company where I worked really hard for 3 years to get promoted. Nevertheless, after 3 years' suffer, I was still a junior worker. And fortunately, things changed after I shifted to a small company, my capability was valued by the leader and I got promoted several times. While KesllyKelly(misspelling) argued that working experience of the established company look pretty on resume, but it is essential to recognize it is the skills you truly learned from the experience matter. Consequently, I firmly believe working for a small company serves as an effective means for young people to grow up. (Whitespace repetition (bad formatting))

Section Title: 6 文章修订

Revised Essay:

In my opinion, I wholeheartedly concur with the notion that pursuing a career at a small start-up company offers a more exhilarating experience. Furthermore, I would like to emphasize that such companies may present greater opportunities for career advancement. Drawing from personal experience, I once worked for a prestigious organization where, despite my diligent efforts over three years, I remained in a junior position. Fortunately, after transitioning to a smaller company, my abilities were recognized and valued by the leadership team, leading to multiple promotions. While it is true that having experience with an established company may appear impressive on one's resume, it is crucial to acknowledge that the skills genuinely acquired during those experiences are what truly matter. Consequently, I firmly believe that working for a smaller company serves as an effective means for young professionals to develop and thrive in their careers. (150 words)

In my opinion, I wholeheartedly concur (agree) with Andrew's stance the notion (stance) that pursuing a career (taking position position) at a small start-up company provides offers a more excitement. Moreover, exhilarating (exciting) experience. Furthermore, I would like to emphasize that small corporation could offer more such companies may present (offer) greater opportunities for promotion as well. career advancement (promotion). Drawing from personal experience, I once worked for a prestiguous company where I prestigious (prestiguous) organization where, despite my diligent efforts (worked really hard for 3 years to get promoted. Nevertheless, after 3 years' suffer, hard) over three years, I was still remained in a junior worker. And fortunately, things changed position. Fortunately, after I shifted transitioning to (shifting to) a small smaller company, my capability was abilities were recognized and valued by the leader and I got promoted several times. leadership team (leader), leading to multiple promotions. While Keslly argued it is true that working having experience of the with an established company look pretty may appear impressive on one's resume, but it is essential crucial to recognize it is acknowledge that the skills you genuinely acquired during those experiences are what truly learned from the experience matter. Consequently, I firmly believe that working for a small smaller company serves as an effective means for young people professionals to develop and thrive in their careers (grow up.up).

8 思维导图


1. Introduction
   - Agree with the idea of working at a small start-up company
   - Greater opportunities for career advancement

2. Personal Experience
   - Worked at a prestigious organization
   - Diligent efforts but remained in a junior position

3. Transition to a Smaller Company
   - Abilities recognized and valued by the leadership team
   - Multiple promotions

4. Established Company Experience
   - Impressive on resume
   - Skills genuinely acquired are more important

5. Conclusion
   - Working for a smaller company is effective for young professionals' development and career growth

9 关键词

WordPhonetic SymbolPart of SpeechEnglish DefinitionSimplified Chinese TranslationSample Sentence
wholeheartedly/ˌhoʊlˈhɑr.tɪd.li/adverbcompletely and sincerely全心全意地I wholeheartedly concur with the notion that pursuing a career at a small start-up company offers a more exhilarating experience.
exhilarating/ɪgˈzɪl.ə.reɪ.t̬ɪŋ/adjectivemaking you feel very excited and happy令人兴奋的Pursuing a career at a small start-up company offers a more exhilarating experience.
diligent/ˈdɪl·ə·dʒənt/adjectivecareful and using effort勤奋的Despite my diligent efforts over three years, I remained in a junior position.
transition/trænˈzɪʃ.ən/nouna change from one form or type to another过渡After transitioning to a smaller company, my abilities were recognized and valued by the leadership team.
prestigious/preˈstiʒ·əs/adjectiverespected and admired有声望的I once worked for a prestigious organization where, despite my diligent efforts over three years, I remained in a junior position.
acknowledge/əkˈnɑl·ɪdʒ/verbto accept or admit the existence of承认It is crucial to acknowledge that the skills genuinely acquired during those experiences are what truly matter.
genuinely/ˈdʒen·yu·ən·li/adverb_truly or sincerely_真诚地_The skills genuinely acquired during those experiences are what truly matter.
thrive/θraɪv/_verb_to grow, develop, or be successful_繁荣,兴旺_I firmly believe that working for a smaller company serves as an effective means for young professionals to develop and thrive in their careers.
career advancement/kəˈrɪr ədˈvæns.mənt/_noun_progress in one's job or occupation_职业发展_I would like to emphasize that such companies may present greater opportunities for career advancement.

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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