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TOEFL Academic Discussion Writing Sample: Our professor is teaching a class on sociology. Write a post responding to the professor's question.

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Task Overview

Professor

We have been discussing government budgets and the difficult decisions governments must make regarding the use of public funds. Some services are clearly Essential and must be paid for by and government. But what about public funding of the arts? Do you believe that governments should provide financial support to artists- for example, painters, sculptors, musicians, or filmmakers? Why or why not?

Claire

I enjoy art as much as anyone does, but public funds come from taxes, and I don't think taxpayers hard-earned money should be spent on impractical or inessential items and services. Artists should support themselves by selling their work to private individuals and companies. If they can't find enough buyers, then maybe they should change careers.

Paul

Personally, I think art actually is essential. Lots of public spaces in my hometown just wouldn't be the same without artwork. From statues in public parks to murals painted on the walls of government buildings, my hometown really benefits from funding the artists who created these works. The public spaces are simply more enjoyable for visitors because of the artwork.

User Samples & Evaluation Results

User Sample

Admittedly,Claire’s opinion that the artists should not be support by the governments seems plausible.However,although multiple resources do exist,she ignored that the requirements of the art.Therefore ,I would rather support Paul’s perspective that art is actually essential.To be more specific,art is not only affecting the development of the city,but also enjoy the visitors at the same time.For instance,the artists,such as painters who get the financial support from the governments truly have less life pressure than the one who have to find buyers by themselves.So that,the former have the opportunity to improve and complete their paintings.What more, it will bring more economic benefits and cultural enhancement.All in all,I prefer that the governments should provide financial support to artists.

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

25. 3 任务完成度

总体来说,这篇文章较好地回答了问题,表达了对艺术资助的看法。然而,文章在语言使用和语法方面有待提高。为了使文章更具说服力,可以增加更多相关例子和细节。此外,注意避免使用重复词汇,并尝试使用更丰富的词汇和句式。

示例1(改进前):To be more specific, art is not only affecting the development of the city, but also enjoy the visitors at the same time. 示例1(改进后):To be more specific, art not only contributes to the development of a city but also enhances the experience of visitors.

示例2(改进前):What more, it will bring more economic benefits and cultural enhancement. 示例2(改进后):Furthermore, supporting artists financially can lead to increased economic benefits and cultural enrichment for society.

4. 文章结构与组织

文章的结构基本清晰,包括引言、正文和结论。但是,在段落之间加入过渡句子可以使文章更连贯。同时,注意在正文部分中明确表达观点,并在每个段落中提供支持细节。

建议1(简体中文):在段落之间加入过渡句子,使文章更连贯。 示例1(改进前):Therefore, I would rather support Paul’s perspective that art is actually essential. 示例1(改进后):Therefore, I would rather support Paul’s perspective that art is actually essential, and I will provide some reasons to justify my stance.

建议2(简体中文):在正文部分中明确表达观点,并在每个段落中提供支持细节。 示例2(改进前):For instance, the artists, such as painters who get the financial support from the governments truly have less life pressure than the one who have to find buyers by themselves. 示例2(改进后):For instance, when artists like painters receive financial support from the government, they can focus more on their creative process without worrying about finding buyers for their work. This can lead to higher quality artwork and a more vibrant cultural scene.

5. 语法批改

Admittedly,Claire, Claire(Use of whitespace before comma and before/after parentheses)’s opinion that the artists should not be support by the governments seems plausible.However However(Missing space between sentences),although, although(Use of whitespace before comma and before/after parentheses) multiple resources do exist,she, she(Use of whitespace before comma and before/after parentheses) ignored that the requirements of the art.Therefore Therefore(Lowercase word after word and no space in between) ,, (Use of whitespace before comma and before/after parentheses)I would rather support Paul’s perspective that art is actually essential.To To(Missing space between sentences) be more specific,art, art(Use of whitespace before comma and before/after parentheses) is not only affecting the development of the city,but, but(Use of whitespace before comma and before/after parentheses) also enjoy the visitors at the same time.For For(Missing space between sentences) instance,the, the(Use of whitespace before comma and before/after parentheses) artists,such, such(Use of whitespace before comma and before/after parentheses) as painters who get the financial support from the governments truly have less life pressure than the one who have to find buyers by themselves.So So(Missing space between sentences) that,the, the(Use of whitespace before comma and before/after parentheses) former have the opportunity to improve and complete their paintings.What What(Missing space between sentences) more, it will bring more economic benefits and cultural enhancement.All All(Missing space between sentences) in all,I, I(Use of whitespace before comma and before/after parentheses) prefer that the governments should provide financial support to artists.

Title: 6 文章修订

While Claire's stance on artists not receiving government support may seem reasonable, it overlooks the intrinsic value of art in society. I concur with Paul's viewpoint that art is indeed essential. Specifically, art not only contributes to a city's development but also enhances the experience of visitors. For example, painters who receive financial assistance from the government face less pressure to find buyers, allowing them to focus on refining and perfecting their craft. This, in turn, leads to increased economic benefits and cultural enrichment for the community. Therefore, I firmly believe that governments should provide financial support to artists. (102 words)

Admittedly,Claire’s Revised essay: Title: 7 文章批改

Admittedly, Claire’s opinion that the artists should not be support supported by the governments seems plausible.However,although plausible (revised for clarity and proper grammar). However, although multiple resources do exist,she exist, she ignored that the requirements of the art.Therefore ,I art (revised for better flow and clarity). Therefore, I would rather support Paul’s perspective that art is actually essential.To essential (revised for a more natural tone). To be more specific,art specific, art is not only affecting the development of the city,but city but also enjoy the enjoyable for visitors at the same time.For instance,the artists,such time (revised for better flow and word choice). For instance, artists such as painters who get the financial support from the governments truly have less life pressure than the one those who have to find buyers by themselves.So that,the themselves (revised for clarity and proper grammar). As a result, the former have the opportunity to improve and complete their paintings.What more, paintings (revised for a more natural tone). Moreover, it will bring more economic benefits and cultural enhancement.All enhancement (revised for better flow and word choice). All in all,I all, I prefer that the governments should provide financial support to artists.artists (revised for a more natural tone).

Title: 8 思维导图


1. Introduction
   - Claire's stance
   - Paul's viewpoint
   - Importance of art in society

2. Art and city development
   - Economic benefits
   - Cultural enrichment

3. Supporting artists financially
   - Less pressure to find buyers
   - Focus on refining and perfecting their craft

4. Conclusion
   - Governments should provide financial support to artists

Title: 9 关键词

WordPhonetic SymbolPart of SpeechEnglish DefinitionSimplified Chinese TranslationSample Sentence
intrinsic/ɪnˈtrɪnsɪk/adjectivebelonging naturally; essential固有的,本质的Art has an intrinsic value that goes beyond its monetary worth.
concur/kənˈkɜr/verbagree; be of the same opinion同意,一致意见I concur with Paul's viewpoint that art is essential for society.
refinement/rɪˈfaɪnmənt/nounthe process of improving something改进,提炼Financial support allows artists to focus on the refinement of their craft.
enrichment/ɪnˈrɪʧmənt/nounthe act of improving the quality or value of something by adding good things to it 丰富,增加价值 ;改善 Art contributes to cultural enrichment within a community.
stance/stæns/nouna way of thinking about something立场,观点Claire's stance on government support for artists is not considering the intrinsic value of art.
overlook/ˌoʊvərˈlʊk/verbfail to notice or consider something忽视,忽略Claire's argument overlooks the importance of art in society.
economic/ˌi:kəˈnɒmɪk/adjectiverelating to economics or the economy经济的Art can lead to increased economic benefits for a city.
pressure/ˈprɛʃər/nounthe use of persuasion or intimidation to make someone do something 压力;紧迫感 Artists who receive financial support face less pressure to find buyers.
craft/kræft/nounan activity involving skill in making things by hand 技艺;手艺 Financial assistance allows artists to focus on perfecting their craft.
financial support/faɪˈnænʃəl səˈpɔrt/nounmonetary assistance provided by an organization or government 财政支持 Governments should provide financial support to artists for their contributions to society.

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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