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

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2 user-submitted samples available

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Task Overview

Professor

As a witness of history, historical buildings have non-renewable characteristics. However, some argue that it's more important for the government to build new housing than to preserve old and historical buildings to meet people's needs for modern life. What's your take?

Student A

Historic buildings are a valuable cultural asset and can be maintained for generations. Critic may argue that it is too expensive to restore such an old building, but that is not necessarily true. Restoration ultimately saves natural resources because most of the materials are recycled as part of the new building.

Student B

I agree with Adam. In many cases, older buildings use materials that are no longer available at any cost, such as giant beams made from a single old tree. Original wood paneling, stone walls, and so on, can last for generations if properly maintained. By contrast, modern buildings made from compressed plywood and other cheap alternatives only last a few decades at most. In other words, it may cost less in the short run to erect a new building, but a historical building may require less money to maintain in the long run.

User Samples & Evaluation Results

User Sample

From my perspective, I hold the point that preserving the old and historical buildings can gain more profit than building new buildings. To elaborate, old and historical buildings contain a great amount of value for historical meanings. The government spends money on preserve them can not only keep the city has more cultures but also can gain great profit from attracting tourists to visit the city. For example, Beijing is the capital of China, and it is also famous for its historical events. My friend Judy has been to Beijing last summer and she had a deep impression about the great-preserved Palace Museum. The Chinese government spends money on preserving the Palace Museum years and years which attribute to attracting more and more tourists all over the world to come and visit, and the government gain more profit than the money spends on preserving. Had it not been for the great preserving of Beijing, the government would not have had the chance to gain the great profit from tourists. In conclusion, I advocate that it is important for the governments to spend money on preserve the old and historical buildings.

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: 4.0

2. 预估分数

  • 27

3. 任务完成度

总体来说,你的文章完成了任务要求,但还有一些可以改进的地方。首先,在表达观点时,可以尝试提供更多具体的例子来支持你的观点。此外,文章中存在一些语法错误和用词不当的地方,需要进行修改。

改进示例1: 原文:The government spends money on preserve them can not only keep the city has more cultures but also can gain great profit from attracting tourists to visit the city. 修改后:The government's investment in preserving these historical buildings not only helps maintain the city's cultural heritage but also generates significant revenue by attracting tourists.

改进示例2: 原文:My friend Judy has been to Beijing last summer and she had a deep impression about the great-preserved Palace Museum. 修改后:My friend Judy visited Beijing last summer, and she was deeply impressed by the well-preserved Palace Museum.

4. 文章结构与组织

从组织结构上看,你的文章基本上遵循了引言、正文和结论的结构。然而,在段落之间缺乏明确的过渡和连接。为了使文章更加流畅,建议在段落之间添加过渡句子,并确保每个段落都集中讨论一个特定的观点。

改进示例1: 原文:To elaborate, old and historical buildings contain a great amount of value for historical meanings. 修改后:To elaborate on this point, old and historical buildings hold significant historical value.

改进示例2: 原文:In conclusion, I advocate that it is important for the governments to spend money on preserve the old and historical buildings. 修改后:In conclusion, I firmly believe that it is crucial for governments to invest in preserving old and historical buildings for their cultural, economic, and environmental benefits.

5. 语法批改

From my perspective, I hold the point that preserving the old and historical buildings can gain more profit than building new buildings. To elaborate, old and historical buildings contain a great amount of value for historical meanings. The government spends money on preserve them can not only keep the city has more cultures but also can gain great profit from attracting tourists to visit the city. For example, Beijing is the capital of China, and it is also famous for its historical events. My friend Judy has been to Beijing last summer and, and(comma between independent clauses) she had a deep impression about the great-preserved Palace Museum. The Chinese government spends money on preserving the Palace Museum years and years which attribute to attracting more and more tourists all over the world to come and visit, and the government gain more profit than the money spends on preserving. Had it not been for the great preserving of Beijing, the government would not have had the chance to gain the great profit from tourists. In conclusion, I advocate that it is important for the governments to spend money on preserve the old and historical buildings.

Section Title: 6 文章修订

In my opinion, preserving historical buildings offers greater benefits than constructing new ones. Old and historical structures hold immense historical significance, and investing in their preservation not only enriches a city's cultural heritage but also generates substantial revenue through tourism. For instance, Beijing, China's capital, is renowned for its rich history. A friend of mine visited the well-preserved Palace Museum last summer and was deeply impressed by its grandeur. The Chinese government's continuous investment in maintaining the Palace Museum has attracted a growing number of tourists from around the world, yielding profits that far exceed preservation costs. Without such diligent preservation efforts, the government would miss out on this lucrative opportunity. Therefore, I firmly believe that governments should prioritize the preservation of old and historical buildings. (130 words)

From In my opinion, preserving historical buildings offers greater benefits than constructing new ones (Changed "From my perspective, I hold the point that preserving the old and historical buildings can gain that" to "In my opinion" for a more profit than building new buildings. To elaborate, old and historical buildings contain natural tone). Old and historical structures hold immense historical significance (Rephrased "contain a great amount of value for historical meanings. The government spends money on preserve them can meanings" to make it clearer), and investing in their preservation not only keep the city has more cultures enriches a city's cultural heritage but also can gain great profit generates substantial revenue through tourism (Reworded to improve clarity and flow). For instance, Beijing, China's capital, is renowned for its rich history (Simplified the sentence for better flow). A friend of mine visited the well-preserved Palace Museum last summer and was deeply impressed by its grandeur (Revised to improve sentence structure). The Chinese government's continuous investment in maintaining the Palace Museum has attracted a growing number of tourists from attracting tourists to visit the city. For example, Beijing is the capital of China, and around the world, yielding profits that far exceed preservation costs (Reworded to improve clarity and flow). Without such diligent preservation efforts, the government would miss out on this lucrative opportunity (Simplified the sentence for better flow). Therefore, I firmly believe that governments should prioritize the preservation of old and historical buildings (Changed "I advocate that it is also famous for its historical events. My friend Judy has been to Beijing last summer and she had a deep impression about the great-preserved Palace Museum. The Chinese government spends money on preserving the Palace Museum years and years which attribute to attracting more and more tourists all over the world to come and visit, and the government gain more profit than the money spends on preserving. Had it not been for the great preserving of Beijing, the government would not have had the chance to gain the great profit from tourists. In conclusion, I advocate that it is important for the important" to "I firmly believe that governments to spend money on preserve the old and historical buildings.should prioritize" for a stronger conclusion).

8 思维导图


- 主题: 保护历史建筑的重要性
  - 历史意义
    - 文化遗产丰富
    - 城市特色
  - 经济效益
    - 旅游业收入增加
    - 投资回报高于成本
  - 政府责任与政策支持
    - 高效的保护措施
    - 吸引全球游客

9 关键词

WordPhonetic SymbolPart of SpeechEnglish definitionSimplified Chinese translationSample sentences
preservation/ˌprɛzərˈveɪʃən/nounthe act of keeping something in its original state保护、保存The government is committed to the preservation of historical buildings.
significance/sɪɡˈnɪfɪkəns/nounthe importance or meaning of something意义、重要性The historical significance of these buildings cannot be overstated.
cultural heritage/ˈkʌltʃərəl ˈhɛrɪtɪdʒ/nounthe art, traditions, and beliefs that a society considers important and wants to preserve for future generations文化遗产Preserving historical buildings helps to maintain a city's cultural heritage.
revenue/ˈrɛvənju/nounincome, especially when of an organization and of a substantial nature收入、营收The preservation of historical buildings generates substantial revenue through tourism.
investment/ɪnˈvɛstmənt/nounthe action or process of investing money for profit or material result投资The government's investment in maintaining the Palace Museum has paid off.
preservation costs/ˌprɛzərˈveɪʃən kɒsts/nounthe expenses associated with keeping something in its original state保护成本The profits generated from tourism far exceed the preservation costs.
lucrative/ˈluːkrətɪv/adjectiveproducing a great deal of profit获利丰厚的Preserving historical buildings can be a lucrative opportunity for governments.
prioritize/praɪˈɒrətaɪz/verb-to decide which items are most important and deal with them first-优先考虑、优先处理-Governments should prioritize the preservation of old and historical buildings.

Section Title: 6 文章修订

In my opinion, preserving historical buildings offers greater benefits than constructing new ones. Old and historical structures hold immense historical significance, and investing in their preservation not only enriches a city's cultural heritage but also generates substantial revenue through tourism. For instance, Beijing, China's capital, is renowned for its rich history. A friend of mine visited the well-preserved Palace Museum last summer and was deeply impressed by its grandeur. The Chinese government's continuous investment in maintaining the Palace Museum has attracted a growing number of tourists from around the world, yielding profits that far exceed preservation costs. Without such diligent preservation efforts, the government would miss out on this lucrative opportunity. Therefore, I firmly believe that governments should prioritize the preservation of old and historical buildings.

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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