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TOEFL Academic Discussion Writing Sample: Instructions Your professor is teaching a class on urban planning. Write a post responding to the professor's question.

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Task Overview

Doctor Gupta

This week we are discussing labor shortages. That's when there are more jobs in the economy than there are qualified people to fill those jobs. During a labor shortage, companies have to compete with one another to attract people to work forthem. In your online discussion, please explain what you think companies can do to make themselves more attractive to potential employees.

Andrew

I think one thing that makes a company attractive is location. When companies choose a location for a facility, they should think about whether it's a place that employees want to be. For example, locating a workplace in a big city where there are lots of shops and entertainment options could be a good way to attract new employees.

Claire

It might sound unimportant at first, but I have heard of companies that provide their employees with a variety of food options in their facility. These companies don't just have a cafeteria; they also provide coffee bars and free snack stations for their employees to make working there more enjoyable. I think this also makes employees feel appreciated.

User Samples & Evaluation Results

User Sample

While I appreciate both viewpoints mentioned by Andrew and Claire, I tend to say that the best way to companies can attract potential employees is to provide many welfares such as year bonus or some free insurances. It should be kept in mind that employees are who the people affects the company's achievements , so their feelings play an important role in determining whether a business is successful or not. If people feel interested by certain welfares, it means that they are quite satisfied with the company and will be attracted, and that is the main reason for providing welfares. Meanwhile, Claire contends that companies providing employees with a variety of food options in facilities, but she did not mention that employees are afraid to be dimissed by superiors, which will also lead to people keep working instead of go to the bars and the food is wasted. Consequently, the employees will not go to the bars, hence will be hard to attract potential employees and useless for current ones.

Evaluation Result

1. Sub Scores

Relevance and Contribution to Discussion: 3.5 Clarity and Elaboration of Viewpoint: 3.0 Language Use and Grammar: 3.0

2. Estimated Scores

Estimated Score: 21 (out of 30)

3. Task Completeness

The essay addresses the task by providing an opinion on how companies can attract potential employees. However, the essay could be improved by providing clearer support for the viewpoint and using more relevant examples from the reading passage. Additionally, some parts of the essay seem to be unrelated to the main topic, such as mentioning employees being afraid of dismissal.

Suggestions for improvement:

  • Focus on one or two key points from the reading passage and elaborate on them with specific examples.

  • Make sure all parts of your response are directly related to the task.

Examples in English:

  1. "I believe that offering a competitive benefits package, including bonuses and insurance coverage, can make a company more attractive to potential employees."
  2. "A company's location can play a significant role in attracting employees, as Andrew mentioned. For instance, having a workplace near public transportation or in an area with various amenities can make it more appealing."

4. Essay Structure and Organization

The essay has an introduction, body, and conclusion but lacks clear organization within paragraphs. The transitions between ideas could be improved for better flow.

Suggestions for improvement:

  • Use clear topic sentences at the beginning of each paragraph.

  • Ensure that each paragraph focuses on one main idea with supporting details.

  • Use appropriate transition words or phrases to connect ideas within paragraphs.

Examples in English:

  1. "Firstly, offering a comprehensive benefits package is crucial in attracting potential employees."
  2. "In addition to providing competitive benefits packages, companies should also consider their location when trying to attract new employees."

5. Grammar

While I appreciate both viewpoints mentioned by Andrew and Claire, I tend to say that the best way to companies can attract potential employees is to provide many welfareswelfare(misspelling) such as year bonus or some free insurances. It should be kept in mind that employees are who the people affectsaffect(people + 3rd person verb) the company's achievements ,,(Use of whitespace before comma and before/after parentheses) so their feelings play an important role in determining whether a business is successful or not. If people feel interested byinterested in(Collocation: interested by/in) certain welfareswelfare(misspelling), it means that they are quite satisfied with the company and will be attracted, and that is the main reason for providing welfareswelfare(misspelling). Meanwhile, Claire contends that companies providing employees with a variety of food options in facilities, but she did not mention that employees are afraid to be dimisseddismissed(misspelling) by superiors, which will also lead to people keep working instead of go to the bars and the food is wasted. Consequently, the employees will not go to the bars, hence will be hard to attract potential employees and useless for current ones.

Display title: 6 Revised Essay

While both Andrew and Claire present valid points, I believe that offering comprehensive employee benefits, such as annual bonuses and insurance coverage, is the most effective way for companies to attract potential employees. It is crucial to remember that employees significantly impact a company's success, and their satisfaction plays a vital role in determining the business's overall performance. By offering attractive benefits, companies can ensure that their employees feel valued and appreciated, which in turn fosters loyalty and commitment.

Although Claire highlights the importance of providing various food options within the workplace, she fails to consider the potential concerns employees may have regarding job security. In such cases, access to food amenities may not be sufficient to attract or retain talent. Therefore, focusing on more substantial benefits like financial incentives and insurance coverage can prove to be a more effective strategy in attracting potential employees while also catering to the needs of current ones. (159 words)

While both Andrew and Claire present valid points (clarification: acknowledging both perspectives), I appreciate both viewpoints mentioned by Andrew and Claire, I tend to say believe that the best offering comprehensive employee benefits (revised: more precise term for "welfares"), such as annual bonuses and insurance coverage (examples added for clarity), is the most effective way to for companies can to attract potential employees employees. It is to provide many welfares such as year bonus or some free insurances. It should be kept in mind crucial to remember that employees are who the people affects the significantly impact a company's achievements , so success (rephrased for better flow), and their feelings play an important satisfaction plays a vital role in determining whether a business is successful or not. If people the business's overall performance (rephrased for clarity). By offering attractive benefits, companies can ensure that their employees feel interested by certain welfares, it means that they are quite satisfied with the company and will be attracted, and that is the main reason for valued and appreciated (explanation: connecting benefits to employee satisfaction), which in turn fosters loyalty and commitment.

Although Claire highlights the importance of providing welfares. Meanwhile, Claire contends that companies providing employees with a variety of various food options within the workplace (summary of Claire's argument), she fails to consider the potential concerns employees may have regarding job security (counterargument introduced). In such cases, access to food amenities may not be sufficient to attract or retain talent (explanation: why food options might not be enough). Therefore, focusing on more substantial benefits like financial incentives and insurance coverage can prove to be a more effective strategy in facilities, but she did not mention that employees are afraid to be dimissed by superiors, which will attracting potential employees while also lead to people keep working instead catering to the needs of go to the bars and the food is wasted. Consequently, the employees will not go to the bars, hence will be hard to attract potential employees and useless for current ones.ones (conclusion: emphasizing the main argument).

8 Mind Map

  1. Introduction

    • Employee benefits
    • Attracting potential employees
  2. Comprehensive benefits

    • Annual bonuses
    • Insurance coverage
  3. Employee satisfaction

    • Impact on company success
    • Loyalty and commitment
  4. Claire's argument: food options

    • Importance in the workplace
  5. Job security concerns

    • Food amenities not sufficient for attraction/retention
  6. Focus on substantial benefits

    • Financial incentives
    • Insurance coverage for current employees
  7. Effective strategy

    • Attracting potential employees
  8. Conclusion

    • Comprehensive employee benefits as the most effective way

9 Key Words

WordPhonetic SymbolPart of SpeechEnglish DefinitionEnglish TranslationSample Sentence
Comprehensive/ˌkɒmprɪˈhensɪv/AdjectiveIncluding or dealing with all or nearly all elementsComprehensiveThe company offers a comprehensive employee benefits package, including insurance and bonuses.
Incentive/ɪnˈsentɪv/NounSomething that encourages a person to do somethingIncentiveThe annual bonus serves as an incentive for employees to work harder and stay committed.
Retain/rɪˈteɪn/VerbTo keep or continue to have somethingRetainCompanies must offer attractive benefits to retain their top talent.
Substantial/səbˈstanʃəl/Adjective_Of considerable importance, size, or worth_Substantial_The substantial financial incentives offered by the company attracted many potential employees.
Amenities/əˈmiːnɪtiz/Noun_Pleasant and useful features or facilities_Amenities_The office provides various amenities, such as a gym and cafeteria, for employee use.
Cater/ˈkeɪtər/Verb_To provide what is wanted or needed by someone_Cater_The company caters to the needs of its employees by offering flexible work hours.
Loyalty/ˈlɔɪəlti/Noun_A strong feeling of support or allegiance_Loyalty_Employee loyalty is crucial for maintaining a stable and successful workforce.
Job security/dʒɒb sɪˈkjʊrɪti/Noun_The assurance that an individual will keep their job_Job security_Job security is a top concern for many employees when considering a new position.
Performance/pərˈfɔrməns/Noun_The action or process of carrying out or accomplishingPerformanceEmployee satisfaction plays a vital role in determining the company's overall performance.

6 Revised Essay

While both Andrew and Claire present valid points, I believe that offering comprehensive employee benefits, such as annual bonuses and insurance coverage, is the most effective way for companies to attract potential employees. It is crucial to remember that employees significantly impact a company's success, and their satisfaction plays a vital role in determining the business's overall performance. By offering attractive benefits, companies can ensure that their employees feel valued and appreciated, which in turn fosters loyalty and commitment.

Although Claire highlights the importance of providing various food options within the workplace, she fails to consider the potential concerns employees may have regarding job security. In such cases, access to food amenities may not be sufficient to attract or retain talent. Therefore, focusing on more substantial benefits like financial incentives and insurance coverage can prove to be a more effective strategy in attracting potential employees while also catering to the needs of current ones.

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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