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TOEFL Academic Discussion Writing Sample: 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

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?

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.

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 response to the professor's question on what factors being important in long-term relationship with friends, I firmly believe that common interests and goals are important in long-term relationship. I will develop my standpoint as follows. Firstly, common interests are essential to communication, which means we can share the thought on the same things. My experience can illustrate the idea. My hobby is song and my favorite singer is Jackson. And my sister also like him. So we always go to Jackson's concert. Secondly, it is crucial that we have common goals, such as getting better grades or making more money. Only in this way can we understand each other better. And we can cooperate with each other on something important. In conclusion, I think common interests and goals are important in long-term relationship.

Evaluation Result

1. Sub Scores:

Relevance and Contribution to Discussion: 4.0 Clarity and Elaboration of Viewpoint: 3.5 Language Use and Grammar: 3.5

2. Estimated Scores:

Estimated Score: 23

3. Task completeness:

The essay adequately addresses the task requirements by expressing a personal opinion on the factors important for long-term friendships and providing examples to support the viewpoint. However, there is room for improvement in terms of elaboration and clarity. The writer could provide more specific details or examples to support their ideas, as well as rephrase some sentences for better clarity.

Example 1: Original: "My hobby is song and my favorite singer is Jackson." Improved: "My hobby is listening to music, and my favorite singer is Michael Jackson."

Example 2: Original: "And we can cooperate with each other on something important." Improved: "Having common goals allows us to collaborate effectively on important projects or endeavors."

4. Essay structure and organization:

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

Example 1: Original: "Firstly, common interests are essential to communication..." Improved: "One significant factor contributing to long-lasting friendships is having common interests because they facilitate communication..."

Example 2: Original: "Secondly, it is crucial that we have common goals..." Improved: "Another important aspect of enduring friendships is sharing common goals, which fosters understanding and cooperation among friends..."

5. Grammar

In response to the professor's question on what factors being important in long-term relationship with friends, I firmly believe that common interests and goals are important in long-term relationship. I will develop my standpoint as follows. Firstly, common interests are essential to communication, which means we can share the thought on the same things. My experience can illustrate the idea. My hobby is song and my favorite singer is Jackson. And my sister also like him. So we always go to Jackson's concert. Secondly, it is crucial that we have common goals, such as getting better grades or making more money. Only in this way can we understand each other better. And we can cooperate with each other on something important. In conclusion, I think common interests and goals are important in longa long(This rule identifies whether the article 'a' is missing in a sentence.)-term relationship.

Decisive Factors for Long-term Friendship

In response to the professor's inquiry regarding crucial elements in sustaining long-term friendships, I am convinced that shared interests and common goals play a significant role. To elaborate on my perspective, shared interests foster effective communication as they enable individuals to exchange thoughts on relatable subjects. For instance, my passion for music, particularly my admiration for the artist Jackson, is shared by my sister. Consequently, we frequently attend his concerts together, strengthening our bond. Furthermore, having mutual objectives, such as academic or financial aspirations, enhances understanding and collaboration between friends. By working together towards common goals, friendships are solidified and endure the test of time. (110 words)

In response to the professor's question inquiry regarding crucial elements (Changed "question on what factors being important important" to "inquiry regarding crucial elements" for better clarity and phrasing) in sustaining long-term friendships, I am convinced that shared interests and common goals play a significant role (Replaced "important in long-term relationship relationship" with friends, I firmly believe that common "play a significant role" for improved sentence structure). To elaborate on my perspective, shared interests and goals are important in long-term relationship. I will develop my standpoint foster effective communication as follows. Firstly, common interests are essential to communication, which they enable individuals to exchange thoughts on relatable subjects (Rephrased "which means we can share the thought on the same things. My experience can illustrate the idea. My things" for better clarity). For instance, my passion for music, particularly my admiration for the artist Jackson, is shared by my sister. Consequently, we frequently attend his concerts together, strengthening our bond (Revised sentence structure and replaced "my hobby is song and my favorite singer is Jackson. And my sister also like him. So we always go to Jackson's concert. Secondly, it is crucial that we have concert" with a more coherent example). Furthermore, having mutual objectives (Changed "common goals" to "mutual objectives" for variety), such as academic or financial aspirations, enhances understanding and collaboration between friends (Improved sentence structure and provided examples of common goals). By working together towards common goals, such as getting friendships are solidified and endure the test of time (Rephrased the last sentence for better grades or making more money. Only in this way can we understand each other better. And we can cooperate with each other on something important. In conclusion, I think common interests and goals are important in long-term relationship.flow and conclusion).

8 Mind Map


- Decisive Factors for Long-term Friendship
    - Shared Interests
        - Effective communication
        - Exchange of thoughts on relatable subjects
        - Example: passion for music and attending concerts together
    - Common Goals
        - Academic or financial aspirations
        - Enhances understanding and collaboration between friends
        - Working together towards mutual objectives
        - Solidifies friendships and helps them endure the test of time

9 Key Words

WordPhonetic SymbolPart of SpeechEnglish DefinitionEnglish TranslationSample Sentence
Decisive/dɪˈsaɪsɪv/AdjectiveSettling an issue; producing a definite resultDecisiveThe decisive factors for long-term friendship include shared interests and common goals.
Sustain/səˈsteɪn/VerbStrengthen or support physically or mentallySustainShared interests help sustain long-term friendships by fostering effective communication.
Elaborate/ɪˈlabərət/VerbAdd more detail concerning what has already been saidElaborateTo elaborate on my perspective, shared interests foster effective communication.
Relatable/rɪˈleɪtəb(ə)l/AdjectiveAble to be related to something elseRelatableShared interests enable individuals to exchange thoughts on relatable subjects.
Consequently/ˈkɒnsɪkw(ə)ntli/AdverbAs a resultConsequentlyConsequently, we frequently attend his concerts together, strengthening our bond.
Mutual/ˈmjuːtʃʊəl/AdjectiveHeld in common by two or more partiesMutualHaving mutual objectives enhances understanding and collaboration between friends.
Aspirations/aspɪˈreɪʃ(ə)nz/Noun (plural)A hope or ambition of achieving somethingAspirationsCommon goals, such as academic or financial aspirations, play a significant role in friendships.
Collaboration/kəlabəˈreɪʃ(ə)n/Noun _The action of working with someone to produce something_Collaboration _Enhanced collaboration between friends is a result of working together towards mutual objectives._
Solidify/səˈlɪdɪfaɪ/VerbMake stronger; reinforceSolidifyBy working together towards common goals, friendships are solidified and endure the test of time.
Endure/ɛnˈdjʊr/VerbSuffer patiently; remain in existenceEndureLong-term friendships endure the test of time when built on shared interests and common goals.

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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