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TOEFL Academic Discussion Writing Sample: Instructions: Your professor is teaching aclass on education. Write a post responding tothe professor's question.In your response youshould. express and support your personal opinionmake a contribution to the discussion in yourown words An effective response will contain at least 100words.

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Task Overview

Professor

Today, we will discuss a topic that is importantfor students and the public at large: namely.how to prioritize spending, given the limitedfunding available for schools. Some peoplethink schools should spend more money onschoolteachers’ salaries because it wouldattract more qualified individuals to theprofession.On the other hand, others believethat the money should be allocated towardsadditional resources such as books andcomputers. Which viewpoint do you agreewith and why?

Kelly

I believe that increasing teachers' salaries willimprove the quality of education. If they earnmore money, people will consider teaching asviable profession rather than opting for privatesector jobs. We need the brightest minds in theclassrooms.

Paul

I acknowledge that schoolteachers already earna decent salary and provide high-qualityeducation.I'm not certain how much of animpact increasing their salaries would have.Nonetheless schools always require newequipment or facilities. Knowledge andtechnology are constantly evolving, and weneed to prepare students with the most up-to.date materials possible.

User Samples & Evaluation Results

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User Sample #1

As far as I’m concerned, I believe school should prioritize improved teaching equipment over teachers’ salaries. Firstly, as mentioned by Paul, with ...

User Sample

As far as I’m concerned, I believe school should prioritize improved teaching equipment over teachers’ salaries. Firstly, as mentioned by Paul, with the evolved facilities and equipments, teachers can improve their teaching quality and efficiency. For example, by updating the old computers and projectors, teachers can open courseware more quickly, while students can see the content on the projectors more clearly; introducing smart boards makes teaching more interesting and enhances students’ participation in class. Therefore, by allocating money on up-dated equipment and improved facilities, students’ learning outcomes are significantly improved. Moreover, I contend that invisting more money on additional resources can lift students’ motivation on studying. These resources such as programming softwares, three divisions printers, and robitics laboratories, stimulate students’ interests in exploring science and technology as well as foster their innovative thinking and abilities. Consequently, students are more likely to fully devote themselves into studying and boost their grades.

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: 26 (based on the average of Sub Scores)

3. Task completeness

The essay does a good job addressing the specific requirements of the task, expressing a clear personal opinion, and contributing to the discussion. However, there is room for improvement in terms of elaborating on the viewpoint and providing more specific examples or details to support the argument.

Suggestions for improvement:

  • Provide more concrete examples to support your points.

  • Expand on your reasoning for prioritizing improved teaching equipment over teachers' salaries.

Examples in English:

  1. "For instance, upgrading computer labs with faster internet connections would allow students to access online resources more efficiently, leading to better research capabilities."
  2. "Additionally, increasing investment in science labs could provide students with hands-on learning experiences that are crucial for their understanding of complex scientific concepts."

4. Essay structure and organization

The essay has a clear structure with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The organization is mostly logical; however, transitions between ideas could be improved for better flow.

Suggestions for improvement:

  • Enhance transitions between ideas and paragraphs.

  • Ensure each paragraph focuses on one main point.

Examples in English:

  1. "Firstly, as mentioned by Paul, updating facilities and equipment can lead to improvements in teaching quality and efficiency. This is because..."
  2. "Moreover, investing in additional resources can boost students' motivation to study by providing them with access to cutting-edge technology that sparks their interest."

5. Grammar

As far as I’m concerned, I believe school should prioritize improved teaching equipment over teachers’ salaries.

Firstly, as mentioned by Paul, with the evolved facilities and equipments, teachers can improve their teaching quality and efficiency. For example, by updating the old computers and projectors, teachers can open courseware more quickly, while students can see the content on the projectors more clearly; introducing smart boards makes teaching more interesting and enhances students’ participation in class. Therefore, by allocating money on up-dated equipment and improved facilities, students’ learning outcomes are significantly improved.

Moreover, I contend that invistinginsisting(misspelling) more money on additional resources can lift students’ motivation on studying. These resourcesresources,(This rule identifies whether commas are missing in a sentence.) such as programming softwarespieces of software(softwares → pieces of software), three divisions printers, and robiticsrobotics(misspelling) laboratories,laboratories(Remove comma after Oxford list, before predicate) stimulate students’ interests in exploring science and technology as well as foster their innovative thinking and abilities. Consequently, students are more likely to fully devote themselves into studying and boost their grades.

Display title: 6 Revised Essay

In my opinion, schools should prioritize investing in updated teaching equipment and resources over increasing teachers' salaries.

Firstly, as Paul mentioned, the utilization of advanced facilities and equipment can significantly enhance teaching quality and efficiency. For instance, by upgrading outdated computers and projectors, teachers can access course materials more swiftly, while students can view the content on the projectors with greater clarity. Additionally, incorporating smart boards into classrooms can make lessons more engaging and boost students' participation. Therefore, by allocating funds towards state-of-the-art equipment and improved facilities, students' learning outcomes are substantially enhanced.

Furthermore, I argue that investing in additional resources can elevate students' motivation to study. Access to cutting-edge resources such as programming software, 3D printers, and robotics laboratories can pique students' interests in exploring science and technology while fostering their innovative thinking and abilities. As a result, students are more likely to fully immerse themselves in their studies and achieve higher grades. (159 words)

As far as I’m concerned, I believe school In my opinion, schools should prioritize improved investing in updated teaching equipment and resources over teachers’ salaries. increasing teachers' salaries (revised for clarity and conciseness).

Firstly, as Paul mentioned by Paul, with (added for smooth transition), the evolved utilization of advanced facilities and equipments, teachers can improve their equipment can significantly enhance teaching quality and efficiency. efficiency (revised for natural tone). For example, instance, by updating the old upgrading outdated computers and projectors, teachers can open courseware access course materials more quickly, swiftly (revised for natural tone), while students can see view the content on the projectors more clearly; introducing with greater clarity (revised for natural tone). Additionally, incorporating smart boards makes teaching into classrooms can make lessons more interesting and enhances students’ engaging and boost students' participation in class. (revised for natural tone). Therefore, by allocating money on up-dated funds towards state-of-the-art equipment and improved facilities, students’ students' learning outcomes are significantly improved. substantially enhanced (revised for natural tone).

Moreover, Furthermore, I contend argue that invisting more money on investing in additional resources can lift students’ elevate students' motivation on studying. These to study (revised for natural tone). Access to cutting-edge resources such as programming softwares, three divisions software, 3D printers, and robitics laboratories, stimulate students’ robotics laboratories can pique students' interests in exploring science and technology as well as foster while fostering their innovative thinking and abilities. Consequently, abilities (revised for natural tone). As a result, students are more likely to fully devote immerse themselves into studying and boost in their grades.studies and achieve higher grades (revised for natural tone).

Display title: 8 Mind Map


1. Introduction
   - Schools' investment priorities
   - Updated teaching equipment vs. teachers' salaries

2. Enhance teaching quality and efficiency
   - Upgrading computers and projectors
   - Incorporating smart boards

3. Boost students' participation
   - Engaging lessons
   - Improved learning outcomes

4. Elevate students' motivation to study
   - Access to cutting-edge resources
   - Programming software, 3D printers, robotics labs

5. Foster innovative thinking and abilities
   - Exploring science and technology
   - Immersion in studies

6. Achieve higher grades
   - Better learning environment
   - Investment benefits

7. Conclusion
   - Importance of investing in updated teaching equipment and resources over increasing teachers' salaries.

Display title: 9 Key Words

WordPhonetic SymbolPart of SpeechEnglish DefinitionEnglish TranslationSample Sentence
prioritize/praɪˈɒrətaɪz/verbTo decide which things are most important or need attention firstSchools should prioritize investing in updated teaching equipment over increasing teachers' salaries.
utilization/ˌjuːtəlaɪˈzeɪʃən/nounThe action of making practical and effective use of somethingThe utilization of advanced facilities can significantly enhance teaching quality and efficiency.
outdated/aʊtˈdeɪtɪd/adjective/no longer useful or acceptable because it is old-fashioned//By upgrading outdated computers, teachers can access course materials more swiftly.
clarity/ˈklærəti/nounThe quality of being clear and easy to understandStudents can view the content on the projectors with greater clarity.
engaging/ɪnˈɡeɪdʒɪŋ/adjective/interesting and able to keep someone's attention//Incorporating smart boards into classrooms can make lessons more engaging.
cutting-edge/ˈkʌtɪŋ ˌedʒ/adjective/very modern and using the most recent ideas and methods//Access to cutting-edge resources such as programming software can elevate students' motivation.
innovative/ˈɪnəveɪtɪv//adjective/using new methods or ideas//Fostering innovative thinking and abilities is essential for students' success in the future.
immerse/ɪˈmɜrs//verb/to become completely involved in something//Students are more likely to fully immerse themselves in their studies with better resources.
substantially/səbˈstænʃəli/adverbTo a great or significant extentBy allocating funds towards state-of-the-art equipment, students' learning outcomes are substantially enhanced.

Display title: 6 Revised Essay

In my opinion, schools should prioritize investing in updated teaching equipment and resources over increasing teachers' salaries.

Firstly, as Paul mentioned, the utilization of advanced facilities and equipment can significantly enhance teaching quality and efficiency. For instance, by upgrading outdated computers and projectors, teachers can access course materials more swiftly, while students can view the content on the projectors with greater clarity. Additionally, incorporating smart boards into classrooms can make lessons more engaging and boost students' participation. Therefore, by allocating funds towards state-of-the-art equipment and improved facilities, students' learning outcomes are substantially enhanced.

Furthermore, I argue that investing in additional resources can elevate students' motivation to study. Access to cutting-edge resources such as programming software, 3D printers, and robotics laboratories can pique students' interests in exploring science and technology while fostering their innovative thinking and abilities. As a result, students are more likely to fully immerse themselves in their studies and achieve higher grades.

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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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