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TOEFL TPO -1 Academic Discussion Writing Sample: In your post, please discuss the causes or the effects of this social phenomenon: in other words, what are some reasons why people might choose not to help others or what are some results of this inaction?

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Task Overview

Professor

One social phenomenon we discussed recently is this: when a person is in some trouble, some people help that person, while many others do nothing.Some people conclude that inaction-that is, doing nothing-makes the world a worse place. In your post, please discuss the causes or the effects ofthis social phenomenon:in other words,what are some reasons why people might choose not to help others or what are some results ofthisinaction?

Student A

In my opinion,one of the main causes behind this phenomenon of people not helping others is concern for one's own interests.IfI come across someone in a situation who needs help,I will want to help that person-but not if it creates some significant problem for me. Doing so will simply put us both in a bad situation

Student B

I agree that inaction makes the world worse. That means that we all have the responsibility to make the world a better place.An important effect of people not taking on this responsibility is that we may feelless trusting of our neighbors. Conversely.when others show that they are willing to help people, our community becomes stronger.

User Samples & Evaluation Results

User Sample

In my opinion, one of the reasons why people might choose not to help others is that they are not likely to communicate with each other than before. Andrew has made a good point that people concern for their own interests more. I would like to add that people focus more on other issues other than helping others to solve their problems. To be specific, we live in a society which has a much faster pace of working and living than in the past. People who live in metropolitan cities have much work to do everyday. Most employees who work in big companies do not have much time to communicate or chat with others, and the only group of people they meet daily is their colleagues. As a result, they have to spend most of their time dealing with their jobs instead of helping others since they do not have enough time to get to know each other and can even barely finish their own work. In this case, lack of communication leads to their unwillingness in helping others.

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: 4.0

2. 预估分数

24. 3 任务完成度

从任务完成度的角度来看,这篇文章在讨论人们不帮助他人的原因时,提到了快节奏生活和缺乏沟通。然而,文章可以更深入地探讨这个现象,并给出更多具体的例子。此外,文章没有涉及到这种不作为行为的影响,可以考虑增加一些相关内容。

改进建议示例(英文):

  1. "In addition to the lack of communication, another reason for people's unwillingness to help others is the fear of legal consequences. For example, some people might be afraid that if they try to help someone in an accident, they could be held responsible for any further injuries or damages."

  2. "One effect of this inaction is that it can lead to a decrease in social trust and cohesion, as people may feel less connected and supported by their community when they see others not stepping up to help those in need."

4. 文章结构与组织

从结构和组织的角度来看,文章具有清晰的结构,包括引言、正文和结论。然而,在正文部分,作者可以尝试使用更明确的主题句来引导每段的主要观点,并在段落之间加入过渡词或短语,使文章更加连贯。

改进建议示例(英文):

  1. "Firstly, one of the reasons why people might choose not to help others is the lack of communication in today's fast-paced society. This can be attributed to the fact that people are more focused on their own work and have less time to interact with others."

  2. "Moreover, another factor contributing to this social phenomenon is the fear of legal consequences or personal safety concerns, which may prevent people from offering assistance in certain situations."

5. 语法批改

In my opinion, one of the reasons why people might choose not to help others is that they are notless likely to communicate with each other than before. Andrew has made a good point that people concern forare more concerned with their own interests more.interests. I would like to add that people focus moreare focused on other issues otherissues, rather than helping others to solve their problems. To be specific, we live in a society whichthat has a much faster pace of working and living than in the past. People who live in metropolitan cities have much work to do everyday.do. Most employees who work in big companies do not have much time to communicate or chat with others, and the only group of people they meet daily is their colleagues. As a result, they have to spend most of their time dealing with their jobs instead of helping others since they do not have enough time to get to know each other and can even barely finish their own work. In this case, lack of communication leads to their unwillingness in helpingto help others.

Section Title: 6 文章修订

Revised Essay: In my opinion, one contributing factor to the social phenomenon of people choosing not to help others is the decline in interpersonal communication. Andrew rightly pointed out that individuals prioritize their own interests; however, I would like to expand on this by highlighting how people are increasingly preoccupied with matters other than assisting others. Specifically, we live in a fast-paced society where work and personal commitments consume much of our time. This is particularly true for those residing in metropolitan areas who are often overwhelmed by their professional responsibilities. Consequently, they have limited opportunities to interact with others outside their immediate circle of colleagues. This lack of communication fosters a sense of detachment and results in an unwillingness to help others due to insufficient time and a lack of familiarity with those in need. Thus, it can be argued that diminished interpersonal connections contribute significantly to the prevalence of inaction within our communities. (159 words)

Revised Essay: In my opinion, one contributing factor to the social phenomenon of the reasons why people might choose choosing not to help others is the decline in interpersonal communication (revised for clarity and coherence). Andrew rightly pointed out that they are not likely to communicate with each other than before. Andrew has made a good point that people concern for individuals prioritize their own interests more. interests; however, I would like to add that expand on this by highlighting how people focus more on other issues are increasingly preoccupied with matters other than helping assisting others to solve their problems. To be specific, (rephrased for better flow). Specifically, we live in a fast-paced society which has a where work and personal commitments consume much faster pace of working and living than in the past. People who live our time (simplified for readability). This is particularly true for those residing in metropolitan cities have much work to do everyday. Most employees areas who work in big companies do not have much time to communicate or chat with others, and the only group of people they meet daily is are often overwhelmed by their colleagues. As a result, professional responsibilities (clarified context). Consequently, they have limited opportunities to spend most interact with others outside their immediate circle of their time dealing with their jobs instead of helping others since they do not have enough time to get to know each other colleagues (established cause and can even barely finish their own work. In this case, effect). This lack of communication leads fosters a sense of detachment and results in an unwillingness to their unwillingness help others due to insufficient time and a lack of familiarity with those in helping others.need (explained consequences). Thus, it can be argued that diminished interpersonal connections contribute significantly to the prevalence of inaction within our communities (summarized main point).

Display title: 8 思维导图


1. 社会现象
   - 不帮助他人

2. 原因
   - 人际交流的减少

3. 个人利益优先
   - 工作和个人承诺占据时间

4. 快节奏社会
   - 职业责任压力大

5. 大城市生活者
   - 与同事为主的交流圈子

6. 缺乏沟通带来的问题
   - 分离感增强
   - 不熟悉需要帮助的人群

7. 结论
   - 减少的人际关系对社区内不作为现象有重要影响 

Display title: 9 关键词

WordPhonetic SymbolPart of SpeechEnglish definitionSimplified Chinese translationSample sentences
social phenomenon/ˈsoʊʃəl fəˈnɒmɪnən/nouna situation or event that occurs in society社会现象The decline in interpersonal communication is a social phenomenon that affects people's willingness to help others.
interpersonal/ˌɪntərˈpɜrsənl/adjectiverelating to relationships or communication between people人际的Interpersonal communication skills are essential for building strong relationships with others.
preoccupied/priˈɒkjəpaɪd/adjectiveabsorbed in one's thoughts or activities心事重重的She was so preoccupied with her work that she didn't notice her friend needed help.
fast-paced/ˈfæstˈpeɪst/adjectivehappening very quickly快节奏的Living in a fast-paced society can be both exciting and stressful.
metropolitan/ˌmɛtrəˈpɒlɪtən/adjectiverelating to a large city大都市的Metropolitan areas often have more job opportunities and cultural attractions than rural areas.
professional/prəˈfɛʃənl/adjectiverelating to a person's career or occupation职业的The increasing professional responsibilities leave people with less time for interpersonal communication.
detachment/dɪˈtæʧmənt/nounthe state of being separate or disconnected分离感The lack of communication fosters a sense of detachment among people.
familiarity/fəˌmɪliˈærəti/nounclose acquaintance with something熟悉程度Lack of familiarity with those in need makes people less willing to help them.
prevalence/prɛvələns/nounthe state of being widespread or common普遍性The prevalence of inaction within our communities is partly due to diminished interpersonal connections.

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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