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TOEFL Academic Discussion Writing Sample: Instructions Your professor is teaching a class on political science. Write a post responding to the professor’s question.

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7 user-submitted samples available

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Task Overview

Professor

Today, we're going to talk about one of the basics of public policy: where should tax money be allocated? Apart from necessary expenditures such as social security and national defense, many countries allocate funds to both sports and arts. Sports can promote physical fitness, healthy competition, and teamwork, while arts can enrich cultural expression, creativity, and critical thinking. However, the question is: which one is worth more that the government should spend money on, arts or sports?

Student A

I think money should be spent on arts since the arts are a fundamental part of a country’s cultural heritage and supporting them can help preserve and promote cultural diversity. By investing in the arts, governments can ensure that future generations have access to a wide range of artistic expressions, such as music, theater, dance, and visual arts.

Student B

Although I share Pauls view that preserving cultural heritage is of utmost importance, I believe that the governments expenditure should primarily target citizens well-being. In my opinion, promoting physical fitness and healthy lifestyles through athletics can significantly reduce healthcare costs and improve overall health outcomes. By investing in athletics, the government can encourage citizens to engage in physical activity and prioritize their health and wellness. Therefore, I suggest that the government diverts its resources towards promoting athletics to achieve maximum health benefits for its citizens.

User Samples & Evaluation Results

User Sample

I believe that the government should give priority to the development of sports, as it helps maintian the citizens' physical health. To be more specific, nowadays people are facing competitive situations, which force them to work very hard, some may even stay up very late, leading to severe mental and physical problems. As a result, advocating and supporting is very essential to people's health as they can release the pressure and make new friends during the sports activities, which not only benefit to their physicial health but also strengthen their bodies. Still, some may claims that preserve cultural heritage is more improtant, since the arts are fundamental part of a country. However, if the country which people all weak and sick, who cares about the country's cultural diversity? From my perspective, people is a fundamental part of the country significantly more important than the cultural heritage. Therefore, as far as I am concerned, the government should spend money on sports to enhance people's body health.

Evaluation Result

1. 子项得分

Relevance and Contribution to Discussion: 4.5 Clarity and Elaboration of Viewpoint: 4.0 Language Use and Grammar: 3.5

2. 预估分数

Estimated Score: 25

3. 任务完成度

这篇文章在任务完成度方面表现良好,但仍有改进的空间。首先,你需要在支持观点时提供更多具体的例子和细节。此外,尽管你提到了文化遗产的重要性,但未能充分讨论这一问题。为了提高文章质量,请尝试在讨论中涉及更多相关观点,并用详细的例子来支持你的主张。

改进示例1:为了支持体育对身体健康的重要性,可以提供关于运动如何降低心血管疾病风险等具体数据。

改进示例2:在讨论文化遗产时,可以指出政府如何平衡投资艺术和体育以实现两者之间的共赢。

4. 文章结构与组织

从组织结构上看,文章整体表现不错。然而,在某些段落中,你没有明确地将观点与支持细节联系起来。为了改善文章结构,请确保每个段落都集中讨论一个特定观点,并使用恰当的过渡词来引导读者。此外,可以在文章结尾处加入总结性陈述,以更好地呈现你的观点。

改进示例1:在讨论体育对身体健康的重要性时,可以使用过渡词如“例如”或“具体来说”,以便更清晰地展示支持细节。

改进示例2:在文章结尾处加入一句总结性陈述,如:“综上所述,政府应优先投资体育事业,以促进国民身心健康和整体福祉。”

5. 语法批改

I believe that the government should give priority to the development of sports, as it helps maintianmaintain(misspelling) the citizens' physical health. To be more specific, nowadaysnowadays,(Comma after 'nowadays) people are facing competitive situations, which force them to work very hard, some may even stay up very late, leading to severe mental and physical problems. As a result, advocating and supporting is very essential to people's health as they can release the pressure and make new friends during the sports activities, which not only benefit to their physicialphysical(misspelling) health but also strengthen their bodies. Still, some may claimsclaim(Non-infinitive verb after modal verbs) that preserve cultural heritage is more improtantimportant(misspelling), since the arts are fundamental part of a country. However, if the country which people all weak and sick, who cares about the country's cultural diversity? From my perspective, people isare(Detects potentially wrong usage of "is") a fundamental part of the countrycountry,(This rule identifies whether commas are missing in a sentence.) significantly more important than the cultural heritage. Therefore, as far as I am concerned, the government should spend money on sports to enhance people's body health.

Section Title: Allocating Government Funds: Arts or Sports?

In my opinion, the government should prioritize the development of sports, as it plays a crucial role in maintaining citizens' physical health. Specifically, in today's competitive society, individuals often face high levels of stress and pressure, leading to various mental and physical issues. Encouraging and supporting sports activities can help alleviate this stress while also providing opportunities for social interaction and camaraderie. The benefits of engaging in sports extend beyond improving physical health; they also contribute to overall well-being and personal growth.

While some may argue that preserving cultural heritage is more important due to its fundamental role in a country's identity, I contend that the health and well-being of citizens should take precedence. A nation with a population suffering from poor health will struggle to appreciate or engage with its cultural diversity. In essence, a healthy populace is vital for a thriving society.

Consequently, I believe that government funding should be directed towards promoting sports as a means to enhance citizens' physical health and overall well-being. By doing so, the government can foster an environment where individuals are better equipped to appreciate and contribute to their nation's cultural heritage. (198 words)

I believe that In my opinion, the government should give prioritize the development of sports (prioritize instead of "give priority to the development of sports, to" for a more natural tone), as it helps maintian the plays a crucial role in maintaining citizens' physical health. Specifically, in today's competitive society (rephrased for clarity), individuals often face high levels of stress and pressure, leading to various mental and physical issues. Encouraging and supporting sports activities can help alleviate this stress while also providing opportunities for social interaction and camaraderie (rephrased for clarity). The benefits of engaging in sports extend beyond improving physical health; they also contribute to overall well-being and personal growth.

To be more specific, nowadays people are facing competitive situations, which force them to work very hard, While some may even stay up very late, leading to severe mental and physical problems. As a result, advocating and supporting is very essential to people's health as they can release the pressure and make new friends during the sports activities, which not only benefit to their physicial health but also strengthen their bodies. ¶ Still, some may claims argue that preserve preserving cultural heritage is more improtant, since the arts important due to its fundamental role in a country's identity (rephrased for clarity), I contend that the health and well-being of citizens should take precedence. A nation with a population suffering from poor health will struggle to appreciate or engage with its cultural diversity (rephrased for clarity). In essence, a healthy populace is vital for a thriving society.

Consequently, I believe that government funding should be directed towards promoting sports as a means to enhance citizens' physical health and overall well-being (rephrased for clarity). By doing so, the government can foster an environment where individuals are fundamental part of a country. However, if the country which people all weak and sick, who cares about the country's better equipped to appreciate and contribute to their nation's cultural diversity? From my perspective, people is a fundamental part of the country significantly more important than the cultural heritage. Therefore, as far as I am concerned, the government should spend money on sports to enhance people's body health.heritage.

8 思维导图


- Allocating Government Funds: Arts or Sports?
    - Prioritize sports development
        - Crucial role in maintaining physical health
        - Alleviate stress and pressure
        - Opportunities for social interaction and camaraderie
    - Benefits of engaging in sports
        - Improve overall well-being and personal growth
    - Preserving cultural heritage vs. health and well-being
        - Health should take precedence
        - Healthy populace vital for thriving society
    - Government funding direction
        - Promote sports to enhance citizens' health and well-being
        - Foster environment for appreciation of cultural heritage

9 关键词

WordPhonetic SymbolPart of SpeechEnglish definitionSimplified Chinese translationSample sentences
prioritizepraɪˈɒrətaɪzverbTo treat something as more important than other things优先考虑The government should prioritize the development of sports.
crucialˈkruːʃəladjectiveExtremely important or necessary至关重要的Sports play a crucial role in maintaining citizens' physical health.
alleviateəˈliːvi.eɪtverbTo make something less severe减轻Encouraging sports activities can help alleviate stress.
camaraderie-kæməˈrɑːdəri-noun-A feeling of friendship and trust among people who work together-友谊,团结-Sports provide opportunities for social interaction and camaraderie.
well-beingwelˈbiːɪŋnounThe state of feeling healthy and happy幸福感Engaging in sports contributes to overall well-being and personal growth.
precedenceˈpresɪdənsnounThe condition of being more important than something else优先地位Health and well-being should take precedence over preserving cultural heritage.
populace-ˈpɒpjələs-noun-All the ordinary people of a particular country or area-民众,大众-A healthy populace is vital for a thriving society.
thriving-ˈθraɪvɪŋ-adjective-Growing, developing, or being successful-繁荣的,兴旺的-A thriving society requires a healthy population.
fundingˈfʌndɪŋnounMoney provided by an organization for a particular purpose资金Government funding should be directed towards promoting sports.
foster-ˈfɒstə(r)-verb-To encourage the development or growth of ideas or feelings-培养,促进-The government can foster an environment for appreciation of cultural heritage.

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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