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TOEFL Academic Discussion Writing Sample: Your professor is teaching a class on business management. Write a post responding to the professor’s question. In your response you should do the following. · Express and support your opinion · Make a contribution to the discussion in your own words An effective response will contain at least 100 words.

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2 user-submitted samples available

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Task Overview

Professor

Today, we're going to talk about the benefits and drawbacks of remote work. Many companies have implemented remote work policies in the past few years, and many others are considering joining them. Given that this represents a major change in the way we work and interact with each other, companies must carefully consider all relevant details before making a decision. What do you think? Is remote work beneficial, or do you think it's a bad idea?

Amy

I think remote work is a very positive trend. When we work from home, we spend commuting and we have more flexible schedules. Plus, many people find that they are more productive when working from home. Some people say this is because they aren't distracted by their coworkers, while others suggest it's because their energy isn't drained during a long and bothersome commute.

Rory

While I can see the benefits of remote work, I don't think it should become the new normal. There's something to be said for the atmosphere that comes from being in the same physical space as your colleagues. I also think that remote work can make it harder to build relationships and collaborate effectively. This means it might limit our chances to earn promotions and raises. And what about people who don't have enough room for a home office? They'll suffer if this trend continues.

User Samples & Evaluation Results

User Sample

Tackling this challenging topic, I align with Amy's perspective, which points out that remote work is a positive trend. From where I stand, I firmly believe that remote work can augment employees' working efficiency and then improve the income of employees since remote work reduces the time and financial cost of the employees. To be more specific, instead of spending too much time on the road to the company's work site, employees obtain much more time to sleep and even eat breakfast, which can be prepared carefully. Abundant sleep and energy can guarantee work efficiency within working hours. For instance, nowadays, employees, who work in a huge city, cannot afford the price of housing near the company's base site, which is always in the center of a city. Therefore, remote work can help them to reduce this housing expense.

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

Estimated Score: 28

3. Task completeness

The essay effectively addresses the task requirements by expressing a clear opinion on remote work and providing relevant support for that viewpoint. However, the essay could be improved by further elaborating on the opposing viewpoint (Rory's perspective) and addressing some of the concerns raised in that argument. Additionally, incorporating more specific examples or data to support your claims would strengthen your argument.

Example 1:

  • Include a counterargument to Rory's concern about building relationships in remote work settings, such as mentioning how technology can facilitate communication and collaboration.

Example 2:

  • Provide a real-life example or statistic to demonstrate how remote work has positively impacted employees' productivity or well-being.

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 the flow of the text. Additionally, consider expanding on each point made in separate paragraphs for better organization.

Example 1:

  • Add transitional phrases such as "Furthermore" or "On the other hand" to connect ideas smoothly.

Example 2:

  • Separate points into distinct paragraphs: one paragraph discussing time-saving benefits of remote work, another paragraph discussing financial benefits (housing expenses), and a third paragraph addressing counterarguments from Rory's perspective.

5. Grammar

Tackling this challenging topic, I align with Amy's perspective, which points out that remote work is a positive trend. From where I stand, I firmly believe that remote work can augment employees' working efficiency and then improve the income of employees since remote work reduces the time and financial cost of the employees. To be more specific, instead of spending too much time on the road to the company's work site, employees obtain much more time to sleep and even eat breakfast, which can be prepared carefully. Abundant sleep and energy can guarantee work efficiency within working hours. For instance, nowadays, employees, who work in a huge city, cannot afford the price of housing near the company's base site, which is always in the center of a city. Therefore, remote work can help them to reduce this housing expense.

Display title: 6 Revised Essay

In addressing this complex issue, I concur with Amy's viewpoint that remote work constitutes a positive development. I am convinced that remote work can enhance employees' productivity and subsequently increase their earnings, as it reduces both the time and financial burdens associated with commuting. Specifically, rather than dedicating excessive time to traveling to the workplace, employees gain additional hours for rest and even leisurely breakfast preparation. Sufficient sleep and energy are crucial for maintaining efficiency during working hours. For example, many employees in large cities struggle to afford housing near their company's central location. Consequently, remote work offers a viable solution to alleviate this financial strain on housing expenses. (114 words)

Tackling In addressing this challenging topic, complex issue (revised for clarity and formality), I align concur with Amy's perspective, which points out viewpoint that remote work is constitutes a positive trend. From where development (revised for conciseness and formality). I stand, I firmly believe am convinced that remote work can enhance employees' productivity (augment employees' working efficiency changed to enhance for better word choice) and then improve the income of employees since remote work subsequently increase their earnings, as it reduces both the time and financial cost of the employees. To be more specific, instead of spending too much burdens associated with commuting (revised for clarity). Specifically, rather than dedicating excessive time on the road to traveling to the company's work site, workplace, employees obtain much more time to sleep gain additional hours for rest and even eat breakfast, which can be prepared carefully. Abundant leisurely breakfast preparation (revised for clarity and natural tone). Sufficient sleep and energy can guarantee work are crucial for maintaining efficiency within during working hours. hours (revised for natural tone). For instance, nowadays, employees, who work example, many employees in a huge city, cannot large cities struggle to afford the price of housing near the their company's base site, which is always in the center of a city. Therefore, central location (revised for clarity). Consequently, remote work can help them offers a viable solution to reduce alleviate this financial strain on housing expense.expenses (revised for natural tone and clarity).

8 Mind Map

  1. Remote work

    • Positive development
    • Amy's viewpoint
  2. Enhanced productivity

    • Time savings
    • Financial benefits
  3. Reduced commuting burden

    • Less travel time
    • Lower expenses
  4. Improved work-life balance

    • More rest time
    • Leisurely breakfast preparation
  5. Importance of sleep and energy

    • Efficiency during working hours
  6. Housing affordability issues in large cities

    • Central location struggles
  7. Remote work as a solution

    • Alleviating financial strain
  8. Conclusion

    • Remote work benefits outweigh drawbacks

9 Key Words

WordPhonetic SymbolPart of SpeechEnglish DefinitionEnglish TranslationSample Sentence
ConcurkənˈkərVerbAgree with an opinion or decisionAgreeI concur with Amy's viewpoint that remote work is a positive development.
Constitutesˈkänstəˌt(y)o͞otVerbBe (a part) of a wholeMakes upRemote work constitutes a positive development in the workplace.
SubsequentlyˈsəbsikwəntlēAdverb_Following something else in time_Afterwards_Remote work can enhance productivity and subsequently increase earnings.
Commuting_kəˈmyo͞otiNG_NounTraveling between home and workplace regularlyTravel to and from workRemote work reduces the time and financial burdens associated with commuting.
Dedicate_ˈdedəˌkāt_Verb_Devote time, effort, or oneself to a task_DevoteEmployees can dedicate the time saved from commuting to other activities.
Efficiency_əˈfiSHənsē_Noun_The state of achieving maximum productivity_EffectivenessSufficient sleep and energy are crucial for maintaining efficiency during working hours.
Alleviate_əˈlēvēˌāt_Verb_Make (suffering, deficiency, or a problem) less severe_EaseRemote work offers a viable solution to alleviate financial strain on housing expenses.
Viableˈvīəb(ə)lAdjectiveCapable of working successfullyWorkableRemote work is a viable solution for employees struggling with housing affordability.
Financial strainfəˈnanCHəl strānNounPressure caused by financial difficultiesMonetary stressRemote work can help reduce the financial strain on employees living in large cities.

6 Revised Essay

In addressing this complex issue, I concur with Amy's viewpoint that remote work constitutes a positive development. I am convinced that remote work can enhance employees' productivity and subsequently increase their earnings, as it reduces both the time and financial burdens associated with commuting. Specifically, rather than dedicating excessive time to traveling to the workplace, employees gain additional hours for rest and even leisurely breakfast preparation. Sufficient sleep and energy are crucial for maintaining efficiency during working hours. For example, many employees in large cities struggle to afford housing near their company's central location. Consequently, remote work offers a viable solution to alleviate this financial strain on housing expenses.

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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