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TOEFL Academic Discussion Writing Sample: Consider the advantagesof each. Would it generally be better for a newuniversity graduate to begin working for a large,established company, or for a small start-upcompany? Why?

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Task Overview

Professor

When students are preparing to graduate fromuniversity, they need to make decisions aboutwhat kind of company they want to work for.They might consider large, older companies withan established reputation, or possibly new start-up companies, which tend to be small but veryocused on the future. Consider the advantagesof each. Would it generally be better for a newuniversity graduate to begin working for a large,established company, or for a small start-upcompany? Why?

Kelly

I think in general, the established company is the betterchoice. Because they're already well-known, these companieshave a certain amount of respect in the business community,so it would look good to have that job experience on yourrésumé.That advantage alone would be a great start for arecent graduate.

Andrew

I see your point, Kelly, but taking a position at a start-upcompany would offer so much excitement. They often have anenergy that older companies can't match-everyone can befocused on new, innovative business practices and they wouldbe more aggressive about getting new clients. That would be amuch better experience for someone fresh out of university!

User Samples & Evaluation Results

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1

User Sample #1

In discussing students’ choices after graduating, Andrew proposes that graduates would better accept the start-company’s offer. While his argument hol...

User Sample

In discussing students’ choices after graduating, Andrew proposes that graduates would better accept the start-company’s offer. While his argument holds some validity, I find myself aligning with Kelly’s perspective that choosing an estabished company is a better decision. In my view, this approach not only allows graduates to gain a comprehensive job experience, but also helps them cultivate some important skills. Undoubtedly, this approach contributes siginificantly to individual’s long-term development and serves as a powerful impellment for graduates to improve work abilities. Therefore, I firmly believe that it would be better for a new graduate to begin working for a large and established company.

Evaluation Result

1. Sub Scores

Relevance and Contribution to Discussion: 4.5 Clarity and Elaboration of Viewpoint: 4.0 Language Use and Grammar: 4.0

2. Estimated Scores

Estimated Score: 28

3. Task completeness

The essay effectively addresses the task requirements by discussing the advantages of working for a large, established company as opposed to a small start-up company. However, it could benefit from providing more specific examples and details to support the viewpoint. Additionally, the essay could be improved by addressing potential counterarguments and acknowledging the merits of working for a start-up company.

Suggestions for improvement:

  • Provide specific examples of how working for an established company can contribute to long-term development.

  • Address potential counterarguments by acknowledging the merits of working for a start-up company and explaining why an established company is still a better choice.

Example 1: "Working for an established company often provides access to comprehensive training programs, mentorship opportunities, and networking events that can help new graduates develop important skills."

Example 2: "While start-ups may offer more excitement and innovation, new graduates may face challenges such as job instability or limited resources when compared to established companies."

4. Essay structure and organization

The essay has a clear structure with an introduction, body, and conclusion. However, it could be improved by using clearer transitions between ideas and paragraphs. Additionally, each paragraph should focus on one specific point with supporting details.

Suggestions for improvement:

  • Use clear transitions between ideas and paragraphs.

  • Ensure each paragraph focuses on one specific point with supporting details.

Example 1: "In addition to providing valuable job experience (transition), established companies often offer better job security and benefits packages than start-ups."

Example 2: "Although start-ups may have a more energetic work environment (transition), the stability offered by large companies can provide new graduates with peace of mind as they begin their careers."

5. Grammar

In discussing students’ choices after graduating, Andrew proposes that graduates would better accept the start-company’s offer. While his argument holds some validity, I find myself aligning with Kelly’s perspective that choosing an estabishedestablished(misspelling) company is a better decision. In my view, this approach not only allows graduates to gain a comprehensive job experience, but also helps them cultivate some important skills. Undoubtedly, this approach contributes siginificantlysignificantly(misspelling) to individualan individual(This rule identifies whether the article 'an' is missing in a sentence.)’s long-term development and serves as a powerful impellmentimplement(misspelling) for graduates to improve work abilities. Therefore, I firmly believe that it would be better for a new graduate to begin working for a large and established company.

Display title: 6 Revised Essay

In considering the options for new university graduates, Andrew suggests that they would benefit more from joining a start-up company. While his argument has some merit, I find myself agreeing with Kelly's stance that opting for an established company is a wiser decision. In my opinion, this choice not only provides graduates with comprehensive job experience but also fosters the development of essential skills. Undoubtedly, this approach significantly contributes to an individual's long-term growth and serves as a potent catalyst for graduates to enhance their work capabilities. Consequently, I firmly believe that it would be more advantageous for a new graduate to commence their career with a large and established company. (116 words)

In discussing students’ considering the options for new university graduates (revised for clarity and to avoid repetition of "students' choices after graduating, graduating"), Andrew proposes suggests that graduates they would benefit more from joining a start-up company (rephrased "accept the start-company's offer" for better accept the start-company’s offer. readability). While his argument holds has some validity, merit (changed "holds some validity" to a more natural phrase), I find myself aligning agreeing with Kelly's stance (rephrased "aligning with Kelly’s perspective perspective" for better flow) that choosing opting for an estabished established company is a better decision. wiser decision (revised to sound more natural). In my view, opinion, this approach choice not only allows provides graduates to gain a with comprehensive job experience, experience (rephrased for clarity) but also helps them cultivate some important skills. fosters the development of essential skills (revised to sound more natural). Undoubtedly, this approach significantly contributes siginificantly to individual’s to an individual's long-term development growth (corrected "siginificantly" and rephrased for clarity) and serves as a powerful impellment potent catalyst (changed "powerful impellment" to a more suitable term) for graduates to improve enhance their work abilities. Therefore, capabilities (rephrased for better flow). Consequently, I firmly believe that it would be better more advantageous (changed "better" to avoid repetition) for a new graduate to begin working for commence their career with a large and established company.company (rephrased the ending sentence for improved readability).

8 Mind Map

  1. Introduction

    • Andrew's argument: joining a start-up
    • Kelly's stance: established company
    • Personal opinion: agree with Kelly
  2. Comprehensive job experience

    • Exposure to various departments
    • Diverse tasks and responsibilities
  3. Development of essential skills

    • Professional growth
    • Networking opportunities
  4. Long-term growth

    • Career advancement potential
    • Job stability
  5. Enhanced work capabilities

    • Learning from experienced professionals
    • Access to resources and tools
  6. Conclusion

    • Advantages of established companies for new graduates

9 Key Words

WordPhonetic SymbolPart of SpeechEnglish DefinitionEnglish TranslationSample Sentence
Merit/ˈmɛrɪt/NounThe quality of being particularly good or worthy, especially so as to deserve praise or rewardMeritAndrew's argument has some merit, but I find myself agreeing with Kelly's stance.
Comprehensive/ˌkɒmprɪˈhɛnsɪv/AdjectiveComplete; including all or nearly all elements or aspects of somethingComprehensiveThis choice provides graduates with comprehensive job experience.
Foster/ˈfɒstər/VerbEncourage or promote the development of something, typically something regarded as goodFosterIt also fosters the development of essential skills.
Undoubtedly/ʌnˈdaʊtɪdli/AdverbWithout doubt; certainlyUndoubtedlyUndoubtedly, this approach significantly contributes to an individual's long-term growth.
Catalyst/ˈkatəlɪst/NounA person or thing that precipitates an eventCatalystIt serves as a potent catalyst for graduates to enhance their work capabilities.
Commence/kəˈmɛns/VerbBegin; startCommenceI believe it would be more advantageous for a new graduate to commence their career with a large and established company.
Diverse/daɪˈvɜrs, dɪ-, ˈdaɪvɜrs/AdjectiveShowing a great deal of variety; very differentDiverseThey will be exposed to diverse tasks and responsibilities.
Networking/ˈnɛtwərkɪŋ/NounThe action or process of interacting with others to exchange information and develop professional or social contactsNetworkingJoining an established company offers better networking opportunities.
Stability/stəˈbɪləti/NounThe state of being stable; not likely to change or failStabilityWorking for an established company provides job stability.

6 Revised Essay

In considering the options for new university graduates, Andrew suggests that they would benefit more from joining a start-up company. While his argument has some merit, I find myself agreeing with Kelly's stance that opting for an established company is a wiser decision. In my opinion, this choice not only provides graduates with comprehensive job experience but also fosters the development of essential skills. Undoubtedly, this approach significantly contributes to an individual's long-term growth and serves as a potent catalyst for graduates to enhance their work capabilities. Consequently, I firmly believe that it would be more advantageous for a new graduate to commence their career with a large and established company.

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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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