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TOEFL Academic Discussion Writing Sample: Some economists argue that a good way toreduce air pollution is for governments to raise the cost(through taxes or othermeans)of fuel for cars. Do you agree or disagree with this viewpoint?Why?

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Task Overview

Professor

Today, we will examine what economists call incentives-the motivationsthat lead people to make certain choices. Cost is a major category of economicincentives. People tend to change their behavior when a particular choice gets moreexpensive. Let's discuss an example. Some economists argue that a good way toreduce air pollution is for governments to raise the cost(through taxes or othermeans)of fuel for cars. Do you agree or disagree with this viewpoint?Why?

Student A

I think it would be a good idea to raise fuel prices. Making it more expensiveto drive cars would cause many people to choose public transportation or usebicycles instead. In my city, they've just added bicycle lanes to all of the major roads.So, it would be easy to give up driving.

Student B

I disagree.Why should individuals be punished with such an added expense intheir daily lives? The argument for a consumer fuel tax makes the assumption thatcars are the biggest source of air pollution,and we need to question if that's anaccurate assumption.

User Samples & Evaluation Results

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1

User Sample #1

In my opinion, I completely disagree with the statement. The primary concern lies in the fact that raising the cost of fuel for cars will add extra fi...

User Sample

In my opinion, I completely disagree with the statement. The primary concern lies in the fact that raising the cost of fuel for cars will add extra financial burdons for people, as cars are the main transportation tools for most residents in this country and many areas have relatively low-level public transpotation services. Specifically, more fuel cost may hinder other consumption of redisents, causing a negative influence on overall economic development. However, goverments can consider reduce the price of electronic vehicles and encourage people to exchange their old cars powered by fuel with that of clean energy. It can not only motivate new consumption but also protect our environment. That is why I agree with Claire who shares the same idea as me that we cannot punish individuals by adding a consumer fuel tax.

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

  • Average Score: 4.17

  • Mapped Score: 26

3. Task Completeness

The essay addresses the task requirements by providing a clear viewpoint on the issue of raising fuel costs to reduce air pollution. However, the essay could benefit from more elaboration on the negative impacts of increased fuel costs on residents and the economy, as well as further explanation of alternative solutions like promoting electric vehicles.

Suggestions for improvement:

  1. Expand on the negative impacts of increased fuel costs on residents and the economy.

  2. Provide more details about alternative solutions, such as promoting electric vehicles or improving public transportation.

Examples:

  1. "Raising fuel costs could disproportionately affect low-income families who rely on their cars for work or other essential activities, potentially exacerbating income inequality."

  2. "Governments could invest in improving public transportation infrastructure, making it more accessible and efficient for people to use instead of their cars."

4. Essay Structure and Organization

The essay has a clear structure with an introduction, body, and conclusion. However, it could benefit from clearer transitions between ideas and paragraphs to improve overall organization.

Suggestions for improvement:

  1. Use transitional phrases to connect ideas within paragraphs.

  2. Ensure each paragraph focuses on a specific point with supporting details.

Examples:

  1. "Moreover, another approach that governments can take is to promote electric vehicles."

  2. "In addition to financial incentives for purchasing electric vehicles, governments can also invest in charging infrastructure to make it more convenient for people to switch from traditional cars."

5. Grammar

In my opinion, I completely disagree with the statement. The primary concern lies in the fact that raising the cost of fuel for cars will add extra financial burdonsburdens(misspelling) for people, as cars are the main transportation tools for most residents in this country and many areas have relatively low-level public transpotationtransportation(misspelling) services. Specifically, more fuel cost may hinder other consumption of redisentsresidents(misspelling), causing a negative influence on overall economic development. However, govermentsgovernments(misspelling) can consider reduceto reduce(This rule identifies whether the preposition 'to' is missing in a sentence.) the price of electronic vehicles and encourage people to exchange their old cars powered by fuel with that of clean energy. It can not only motivate new consumption but also protect our environment. That is why I agree with ClaireClaire,(This rule identifies whether commas are missing in a sentence.) who shares the same idea as me that we cannot punish individuals by adding a consumer fuel tax.

Display title: 6 Revised Essay

I firmly disagree with the notion of increasing fuel costs as a means to reduce air pollution. The crux of the issue is that raising fuel prices would impose an additional financial burden on individuals who rely on cars as their primary mode of transportation, particularly in areas with inadequate public transportation services. Consequently, higher fuel costs could potentially impede other consumer spending, negatively impacting overall economic growth. Instead, governments should explore alternative strategies such as lowering the cost of electric vehicles and incentivizing people to replace their traditional fuel-powered cars with cleaner energy alternatives. This approach would not only stimulate new consumption but also contribute to environmental protection. Hence, I concur with Claire's perspective that it is unjust to penalize individuals through the imposition of a consumer fuel tax. (135 words)

In my opinion, I completely firmly disagree with the statement. notion of increasing fuel costs as a means to reduce air pollution (revised for stronger expression and clarity). The primary concern lies in crux of the fact issue (rephrased for emphasis) is that raising fuel prices would impose an additional financial burden on individuals who rely on cars as their primary mode of transportation (clarified for better understanding), particularly in areas with inadequate public transportation services. Consequently, higher fuel costs could potentially impede other consumer spending (rephrased for precision), negatively impacting overall economic growth. Instead, governments should explore alternative strategies such as lowering the cost of fuel for cars will add extra financial burdons for people, as cars are the main transportation tools for most residents in this country and many areas have relatively low-level public transpotation services. Specifically, more fuel cost may hinder other consumption of redisents, causing a negative influence on overall economic development. However, goverments can consider reduce the price of electronic electric vehicles and encourage incentivizing people to exchange replace their old traditional fuel-powered cars powered by fuel with that of clean energy. It can cleaner energy alternatives (suggested alternative solutions). This approach would not only motivate stimulate new consumption but also protect our environment. That contribute to environmental protection (highlighted benefits). Hence, I concur with Claire's perspective that it is why I agree with Claire who shares unjust to penalize individuals through the same idea as me that we cannot punish individuals by adding imposition of a consumer fuel tax.tax (summarized agreement and emphasized fairness).

Display title: 8 Mind Map


1. Introduction
   - Disagree with increasing fuel costs
   - Negative impacts on individuals and economy

2. Financial burden on individuals
   - Reliance on cars for transportation
   - Inadequate public transportation services

3. Economic impact
   - Reduced consumer spending
   - Slower economic growth

4. Alternative strategies
   - Lowering cost of electric vehicles
   - Incentivizing cleaner energy alternatives

5. Stimulate new consumption and environmental protection

6. Claire's perspective: unjust to penalize individuals through fuel tax 

7. Conclusion 

Display title: 9 Key Words

WordPhonetic SymbolPart of SpeechEnglish DefinitionEnglish TranslationSample Sentences
Crux/krʌks/NounThe most important or difficult part of a problem or issueCentral pointThe crux of the issue is that raising fuel prices would impose an additional financial burden on individuals.
Impede/ɪmˈpiːd/VerbTo slow down or prevent the progress, development, or accomplishment of somethingHinder, obstructHigher fuel costs could potentially impede other consumer spending.
Incentivize/ɪnˈsɛntɪvaɪz/Verb_To encourage someone to do something by offering them rewards or advantages_Motivate, encourageGovernments should incentivize people to replace their traditional fuel-powered cars with cleaner energy alternatives.
Imposition/ˌɪmpəˈzɪʃən/_Noun_The act of establishing or applying something as a rule, requirement, or obligation_Enforcement, implementation_It is unjust to penalize individuals through the imposition of a consumer fuel tax.
Penalize/ˈpiːnəlaɪz/_Verb_To punish someone, especially by causing them to suffer a disadvantage_Punish, discipline_Claire's perspective is that it is unjust to penalize individuals through higher fuel costs.
Notion/ˈnoʊʃən/_Noun_A belief or idea about something_Idea, concept_I firmly disagree with the notion of increasing fuel costs as a means to reduce air pollution.
Inadequate/ɪnˈædɪkwət/_Adjective_Not enough in quantity or quality; insufficient for a purposeInsufficientPeople in areas with inadequate public transportation services rely on cars as their primary mode of transportation.
Contribute/kənˈtrɪbjuːt/VerbTo help to cause an event or situationHelp bring aboutThis approach would contribute to environmental protection.
Consumer spending/kənˈsuːmər ˈspendɪŋ/Noun PhraseThe total amount of money spent by consumers on goods and servicesPurchasing by individualsHigher fuel costs could potentially impede other consumer spending, negatively impacting overall economic growth.

Display title: 6 Revised Essay

I firmly disagree with the notion of increasing fuel costs as a means to reduce air pollution. The crux of the issue is that raising fuel prices would impose an additional financial burden on individuals who rely on cars as their primary mode of transportation, particularly in areas with inadequate public transportation services. Consequently, higher fuel costs could potentially impede other consumer spending, negatively impacting overall economic growth. Instead, governments should explore alternative strategies such as lowering the cost of electric vehicles and incentivizing people to replace their traditional fuel-powered cars with cleaner energy alternatives. This approach would not only stimulate new consumption but also contribute to environmental protection. Hence, I concur with Claire's perspective that it is unjust to penalize individuals through the imposition of a consumer fuel tax.

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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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