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TOEFL Academic Discussion Writing Sample: Your professor is teaching a class on businessmanagement. Write a post responding to theprofessor's question. ln 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 100words.

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2 user-submitted samples available

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Task Overview

Professor

This week, we will be discussing leadership; morespecifically, we will be examining the variousqualities found in all successful business leaders.To get you thinking about this topic, 'd like you toconsider the following question: What is moreimportant for being an effective leader of abusiness—excellent communication skills or astrong technical background in a particularindustry?

Student A

The best leaders are the ones who are good communicators. lfemployees clearly understand what is expected of them—iftheir leader can articulate clearly and concisely what theyneed to do to achieve their goals—they will be more productive and efficient in their work.

kelly

This week, we will be discussing leadership; morespecifically, we will be examining the variousqualities found in all successful business leaders.To get you thinking about this topic, 'd like you toconsider the following question: What is moreimportant for being an effective leader of abusiness—excellent communication skills or astrong technical background in a particularindustry?

User Samples & Evaluation Results

User Sample

Though both quality are important, l strongly agree the notion thatexcellent communition skills are more essential in being an effective leader.Admittedly, as Kelly ponited out, understanding business itself canmotivate the employees, but well developed communication skills can alsoinspire both the employees and the investors. Imagine Steven Jobs, the forCEO of apple, is a successful communicator who can greatly bring out thebest in his team and impress the users through series of speech.To catchtheir attention and encourage them to contribute to apple's products, Jobsdevelop the ability to describe the idea as it happens in front of your face.That's why apple is always effective in attracting young talented employeesand customers keen on their products.

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

26. 3 任务完成度

这篇文章基本上完成了任务要求,表达了对于领导者需要优秀沟通能力的观点,并且给出了相关的例子。但是,可以在以下方面进行改进:

  1. 在论述中加入更多细节和例子,以便更好地支持观点。

  2. 略微调整语法和词汇用法,使其更加准确。

示例1:在论述中加入更多细节和例子。 原文:Imagine Steven Jobs, the forCEO of apple, is a successful communicator who can greatly bring out thebest in his team and impress the users through series of speech. 修改后:Imagine Steve Jobs, the former CEO of Apple, was a successful communicator who could greatly bring out the best in his team and impress users through his captivating presentations, such as the introduction of the iPhone in 2007.

示例2:略微调整语法和词汇用法。 原文:That's why apple is always effective in attracting young talented employeesand customers keen on their products. 修改后:That's why Apple has always been effective in attracting young talented employees and customers who are enthusiastic about their products.

4. 文章结构与组织

文章的结构和组织方面表现较好,有明确的引言、主体和结论。每段都集中讨论了一个特定的观点,并提供了支持细节。但在以下方面可以进行改进:

  1. 在段落之间加入更明确的过渡词或短语,使文章更连贯。

  2. 在引言部分简要概括文章的主要观点。

示例1:在段落之间加入更明确的过渡词或短语。 原文:Admittedly, as Kelly ponited out, understanding business itself canmotivate the employees, but well developed communication skills can alsoinspire both the employees and the investors. 修改后:Admittedly, as Kelly pointed out, understanding business itself can motivate employees; however, well-developed communication skills can also inspire both employees and investors.

示例2:在引言部分简要概括文章的主要观点。 原文:Though both quality are important, l strongly agree the notion thatexcellent communition skills are more essential in being an effective leader. 修改后:Though both qualities are important, I strongly believe that excellent communication skills are more essential for being an effective leader than a strong technical background in a particular industry.

5. 语法批改

Though both quality are important, l strongly agree theto the(This rule identifies whether the preposition 'to' is missing in a sentence.) notion thatexcellentthat excellent(misspelling) communition[No Replacement Word Found](misspelling) skills are more essential in being an effective leader.Admittedly Admittedly(Missing space between sentences), as Kelly ponitedpointed(misspelling) out, understanding business itself canmotivatecan motivate(misspelling) the employees, but well developedwell-developed(Hyphenated words: well developed) communication skills can alsoinspirealso inspire(misspelling) both the employees and the investors. Imagine Steven Jobs, the forCEOforces(misspelling) of apple, is a successful communicator who can greatly bring out thebestThebes(misspelling) in his team and impress the users through series of speech.To To(Missing space between sentences) catchtheircatch their(misspelling) attention and encourage them to contribute to apple's products, Jobsdevelop the ability to describe the idea as it happens in front of your face.That That(Missing space between sentences)'s why apple is always effective in attracting youngyoung,(This rule identifies whether commas are missing in a sentence.) talented employeesandemployee sand(misspelling) customers keen on their products.

Title: 6 Article Revision

In the realm of effective leadership, I firmly believe that exceptional communication skills hold greater importance than a strong technical background in a specific industry. While possessing industry expertise can undoubtedly motivate employees, well-developed communication skills have the power to inspire both employees and investors alike. Consider Steve Jobs, former CEO of Apple, who was renowned for his extraordinary ability to communicate and bring out the best in his team. Through captivating speeches, Jobs captured the attention of his audience and encouraged them to contribute to Apple's innovative products. His exceptional communication skills played a crucial role in attracting talented employees and loyal customers, ultimately contributing to Apple's success. (113 words)

Title: 7 Article Revision

Though both quality qualities are important, l I strongly agree with the notion thatexcellent communition that excellent communication skills are more essential in being an effective leader.Admittedly, leader. Admittedly, as Kelly ponited pointed out, understanding the business itself canmotivate can motivate the employees, employees (clarified the subject), but well developed well-developed communication skills can alsoinspire also inspire both the employees and the investors. Imagine Steven Jobs, Steve Jobs (corrected spelling), the forCEO former CEO of apple, is Apple (added missing word), who was a successful communicator who can that could greatly bring out thebest the best in his team and impress the users through a series of speech.To catchtheir speeches (improved sentence structure). To catch their attention and encourage them to contribute to apple's Apple's products, Jobsdevelop Jobs developed the ability to describe the idea ideas as it happens if they were happening right in front of your face.That's face (rephrased for clarity). That's why apple is Apple has always been effective in attracting young talented employeesand employees and customers keen on their products.products (improved sentence structure).

8 思维导图


1. 引言
   - 有效领导力
   - 优秀沟通技巧 vs. 行业技术背景

2. 行业专长的优势
   - 激励员工

3. 沟通技巧的重要性
   - 吸引员工和投资者

4. 史蒂夫·乔布斯(Steve Jobs)案例分析
   - 前苹果(Apple)首席执行官(CEO)
   - 出色的沟通能力和团队激励作用

5. 演讲的吸引力
   - 抓住听众注意力
   - 鼓励创新贡献

6. 沟通技巧在苹果成功中的关键作用
   - 吸引人才和忠实客户

9 关键词

WordPhonetic SymbolPart of SpeechEnglish definitionSimplified Chinese translationSample sentences
effective/ɪˈfɛktɪv/adjectivesuccessful in producing a desired or intended result有效的Effective leadership is crucial for the success of any organization.
communication/kəˌmjuːnɪˈkeɪʃən/nounthe imparting or exchanging of information or news沟通Good communication skills are essential for building strong relationships.
technical/ˈtɛknɪkəl/adjectiverelating to a particular subject, art, or craft技术的She has a strong technical background in computer programming.
expertise/ˌɛkspərˈtiːz/nounexpert skill or knowledge in a particular field专长His expertise in marketing helped the company increase its sales.
motivate/ˈmoʊtɪveɪt/verbprovide (someone) with a reason for doing something激励The coach's speech motivated the team to play their best.
exceptional/ɪkˈsɛpʃənəl/adjectiveunusual; not typical杰出的,非凡的Her exceptional performance earned her a promotion at work.
audience/ˈɔdiəns/noun/the assembled spectators or listeners at an event/听众,观众/The speaker captivated the audience with his engaging presentation.
innovative/ˈinəvādiv//adjective/featuring new methods; advanced and original/创新的/Apple is known for its innovative products and designs.
contribute/kənˈtrɪbju:t//verb/give (something, especially money) in order to help achieve or provide something/贡献/She contributed her time and energy to help the community.
success/səkˈsɛs//noun/the accomplishment of an aim or purpose/成功/Hard work and determination are key factors in achieving success.

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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