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

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Task Overview

Professor

When students are preparing to graduate from university, they need to make decisions about what kind of company they want to work for. They might consider large, older companies with an established reputation, or possibly new start-up companies, which tend to be small but very focused on the future. Consider the advantages of each. Would it generally be better for a new university graduate to begin working for a large, established company, or for a small start-up company? Why?

Student A

Kelly I think in general, the established company is the better choice. Because they're already well-known, these companies have a certain amount of respect in the business community, so it would look good to have that job experience on your resume. That advantage alone would be a great start for a recent graduate.

Student B

I see your point, Kelly, but taking a position at a start-up company would offer so much excitement. They often have an energy that older companies can’t match—everyone can be focused on new, innovative business practices and they would be more aggressive about getting new clients. That would be a much better experience for someone fresh out of university!

User Samples & Evaluation Results

User Sample

Instead of the point of Andrew, I agree with Kelly that for the senior college students work in large and famous company is better choice for them. Here are serval arguments. Firstly, large company can provide a stable working environment for undergraduates so that students do not have to worry about the salary. Although the culture of large and old company might have some old-fashion for nowadays society, students also can learn how to play with them which can practice their social skills, besides they can gain a lot from the older employees. In addition, according to the huge working system of company, there are serval empty space waiting for them so that they can try to get promote. In conclusion, I want to go to large company because of I would like to see more and gain more things which are not be allowed in the small corporations.

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

这篇文章基本上完成了任务要求,但仍有一些可以改进的地方。首先,在表达观点时,可以更具体地说明大公司为何能提供稳定的工作环境以及如何帮助学生提高社交技能。此外,文章中的语法和词汇使用有时显得不够准确,需要加强。

改进示例1: Instead of "large company can provide a stable working environment for undergraduates so that students do not have to worry about the salary.", you can write "Large companies often provide a stable working environment with competitive salaries, which can alleviate financial concerns for recent graduates."

改进示例2: Instead of "students also can learn how to play with them which can practice their social skills", you can write "Students can also learn from experienced colleagues, which helps them develop their social skills in a professional setting."

4. 文章结构与组织

文章的结构和组织方面表现较好,包括了引言、正文和结论。然而,在段落之间的过渡可以更加自然流畅。此外,正文部分可以进一步细化观点和论据。

改进示例1: 在第一段最后加入过渡句子:"With these benefits in mind, let's delve deeper into the reasons why large companies are a better choice for recent graduates."

改进示例2: 在正文部分加入更多具体论据,例如:"Furthermore, large companies often offer comprehensive training programs and mentorship opportunities, which can help recent graduates acquire new skills and knowledge relevant to their career development."

5. 语法批改

Instead of the point of Andrew, I agree with Kelly that for the senior college students work in large and famous company is better choice for them. Here are servalserial(misspelling) arguments. Firstly, largea large(This rule identifies whether the article 'a' is missing in a sentence.) company can provide a stable working environment for undergraduates so that students do not have to worry about the salary. Although the culture of large and old company might have some old-fashion for nowadays society, students also can learn how to play with them which can practice their social skills, besides they can gain a lot from the older employees. In addition, according to the huge working system of company, there are servalserial(misspelling) empty space waiting for them so that they can try to get promote. In conclusion, I want to go to large company because of Ibecause I(because of we (because we)) would like to see more and gain more things which are not be allowed in the small corporations.

  1. Article Revision

In response to the professor's question, I concur with Kelly that joining a large, established company is a more advantageous choice for recent university graduates. There are several reasons for this preference. First and foremost, large companies offer a stable working environment, alleviating concerns about financial security for new employees. While the corporate culture of such organizations may seem outdated, it presents an opportunity for graduates to hone their social skills and learn valuable lessons from experienced colleagues. Furthermore, the extensive organizational structure of these companies often presents numerous opportunities for growth and advancement. Ultimately, I believe that working in a large company allows recent graduates to broaden their horizons and acquire invaluable experiences that may not be readily available in smaller enterprises. (126 words)

Instead In response to the professor's question, I concur with Kelly that joining a large, established company is a more advantageous choice for recent university graduates (instead of "Instead of the point of Andrew, I agree with Kelly that for the senior college students work in large and famous company is better choice for them. Here them" - rephrased to make it clearer and more concise). There are several reasons for this preference (instead of "Here are serval arguments. Firstly, large arguments" - corrected spelling and rephrased for clarity). First and foremost, large companies offer a stable working environment, alleviating concerns about financial security for new employees (instead of "large company can provide a stable working environment for undergraduates so that students do not have to worry about the salary. Although salary" - rephrased to improve grammar and clarity). While the corporate culture of such organizations may seem outdated (instead of "Although the culture of large and old company might have some old-fashion for nowadays society, students society" - rephrased to improve grammar), it presents an opportunity for graduates to hone their social skills and learn valuable lessons from experienced colleagues (instead of "students also can learn how to play with them which can practice their social skills, besides they can gain a lot from the older employees. In addition, according employees" - rephrased to improve grammar and clarity). Furthermore, the extensive organizational structure of these companies often presents numerous opportunities for growth and advancement (instead of "according to the huge working system of company, there are serval empty space waiting for them so that they can try to get promote. In conclusion, promote" - corrected spelling and rephrased for clarity). Ultimately, I believe that working in a large company allows recent graduates to broaden their horizons and acquire invaluable experiences that may not be readily available in smaller enterprises (instead of "I want to go to large company because of I would like to see more and gain more things which are not be allowed in the small corporations.corporations" - rephrased to improve grammar and clarity).

8 思维导图


- Title: Large Companies vs Small Enterprises for Recent Graduates
    - Stability
        - Financial security
        - Established working environment
    - Corporate culture
        - Social skills development
        - Learning from experienced colleagues
    - Opportunities for growth and advancement
        - Extensive organizational structure
        - Broadening horizons
    - Invaluable experiences
        - Unique to large companies 

9 关键词

WordPhonetic SymbolPart of SpeechEnglish DefinitionSimplified Chinese TranslationSample Sentence
advantageous/ˌæd.vənˈteɪ.dʒəs/adjectiveproviding a good chance of success or improvement有利的Joining a large company is an advantageous choice for recent graduates.
stability/stəˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/nounthe quality of being unlikely to change or fail稳定性Large companies offer stability and financial security.
corporate culture/ˈkɔr.pər.ət ˈkʌl.tʃɚ/nounthe beliefs and ideas that a company has企业文化The corporate culture in large companies helps graduates develop social skills.
hone/hoʊn/verb_to make something perfect or completely suitable_磨练,提高_Graduates can hone their social skills in large companies.
advancement/ədˈvæns.mənt/noun_the development or improvement of something_晋升,发展_Large companies offer opportunities for growth and advancement.
organizational/ˌɔr.ɡən.əˈzeɪ.ʃən.əl/adjectiverelating to the way a company or institution is organized组织的_The organizational structure of large companies provides more opportunities.
horizons/həˈraɪ.zən/nounthe limit of a person's knowledge, experience, or interest视野_Working in a large company allows graduates to broaden their horizons.
invaluable/ɪnˈvæl.ju.ə.bəl/adjective_extremely useful_无价的_Graduates can acquire invaluable experiences in large companies.
enterprises/ˈen.t̬ɚ.praɪz/noun_a company or business_企业_Recent graduates may not find the same experiences in smaller enterprises.
colleagues/ˈkɑl.iɡ/noun_someone you work with_同事_Graduates can learn valuable lessons from experienced colleagues.

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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