All Samples

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

Real user submissions with AI-powered evaluation and feedback

1 user-submitted samples available

Start Free Practice

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

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 résumé. 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

It is certain that large, well-known companies would bring more valuable experience to someone fresh out of the university. To be more specific, those large companies usually have more highly professional job training for new employees, which will equip them with competitive technical skills and help them to best adapt themselves to a new environment. For example, the first company I worked for was an old, well-known internet company, which occasionally organize training on how to use the UI design applications. These experience are really beneficial to my career life and has became an advantage for me to apply for other companies. Nevertheless, some might claim that working for a start-up company is more exciting and innovative. However, new university graduates who work on these challenging jobs might make mistakes and potentially cause significant business losses, which will bring negative influence on their future career.

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

整体来说,你的文章回答了问题并提供了观点。但是,可以在以下方面进行改进:首先,在论述观点时可以提供更多具体的例子和细节,以增强说服力。其次,尝试使用更丰富的词汇和语法结构,使文章更具表现力。

示例1(英文): Instead of "These experience are really beneficial to my career life", you could write "These experiences have significantly contributed to my professional growth and have given me a competitive edge when applying for other positions."

示例2(英文): Instead of "which will bring negative influence on their future career", you could write "which may adversely impact their professional reputation and future career prospects."

4. 文章结构与组织

你的文章结构基本清晰,但仍有改进空间。首先,可以在开头部分加入引言句子,简要介绍文章主题。其次,在正文段落中使用过渡词或短语来连接不同观点。最后,在结尾部分总结论点,并呼应开头引言。

示例1(英文): Introduction: "Choosing the right company to work for after graduating from university is a crucial decision, as it can greatly impact one's career trajectory."

示例2(英文): Transition: "On the other hand, proponents of working for start-up companies argue that the dynamic environment and innovative culture can be more rewarding for recent graduates."

5. 语法批改

It is certain that large, well-known companies would bring more valuable experience to someone fresh out of the university. To be more specific, those large companies usually have more highly professional job training for new employees, which will equip them with competitive technical skills and help them to best adapt themselves to a new environment. For example, the first company I worked for was an old, well-known internet company, which occasionally organize training on how to use the UI design applications. These experienceThis experience('this' vs. 'these') are really beneficial to my career life and has becamebecome(Agreement: 'have' + past/present tense) an advantage for me to apply for other companies. Nevertheless, some might claim that working for a start-up company is more exciting and innovative. However, new university graduates who work on these challenging jobs might make mistakes and potentially cause significant business losses, which will bring negative influence on their future career.

Section Title: 6 Article Revision

In determining the ideal workplace for recent university graduates, it is crucial to weigh the benefits of both large, established companies and small start-ups. While established companies offer valuable experience and comprehensive training programs, working for a start-up can provide an exhilarating environment with a focus on innovation. For instance, my first job at a renowned internet company included regular training sessions on UI design applications, which significantly contributed to my professional growth and subsequent career opportunities. However, some may argue that the dynamic nature of start-ups fosters creativity and adaptability in new graduates. Despite this potential advantage, inexperienced employees at start-ups may be more prone to making costly mistakes that could negatively impact their future career prospects. (123 words)

It In determining the ideal workplace for recent university graduates (clarification: specifying the subject), it is certain that crucial to weigh the benefits of both large, well-known established companies would bring more and small start-ups. While established companies offer valuable experience (word choice: "valuable" instead of "more valuable" to someone fresh out avoid comparison) and comprehensive training programs, working for a start-up can provide an exhilarating environment with a focus on innovation. For instance, my first job at a renowned internet company (word choice: "renowned" instead of the university. To be more specific, those large companies usually have more highly professional job "old, well-known" for clarity) included regular training for new employees, which will equip them with competitive technical skills and help them to best adapt themselves to a new environment. For example, the first company I worked for was an old, well-known internet company, which sessions on UI design applications (rephrasing: "which occasionally organize training on how to use the UI design applications. These experience are really beneficial applications" to make it more concise), which significantly contributed to my professional growth and subsequent career life opportunities. However, some may argue that the dynamic nature of start-ups fosters creativity and has became an advantage for me adaptability in new graduates (addressing counterargument). Despite this potential advantage, inexperienced employees at start-ups may be more prone to apply for other companies. Nevertheless, some might claim making costly mistakes that working for a start-up company is more exciting and innovative. However, new university graduates who work on these challenging jobs might make mistakes and potentially cause significant business losses, which will bring negative influence on could negatively impact their future career.career prospects (providing reasons for the potential drawbacks of working at a start-up).

Title: 8 思维导图


1. Ideal workplace
   a. Large established companies
      i. Valuable experience
     ii. Comprehensive training programs
   b. Small start-ups
      i. Exhilarating environment
     ii. Focus on innovation

2. Example: Renowned internet company
   a. Regular training sessions on UI design applications
   b. Professional growth and career opportunities

3. Start-ups advantages
   a. Fosters creativity and adaptability in new graduates

4. Potential disadvantages of start-ups for inexperienced employees
   a. Prone to making costly mistakes 
   b. Negative impact on future career prospects

Title: 9 关键词

WordPhonetic SymbolPart of SpeechEnglish DefinitionSimplified Chinese TranslationSample Sentence
ideal/aɪˈdiːəl/adjectiveperfect; most suitable理想的The ideal workplace for recent graduates depends on various factors
comprehensive/ˌkɒmprɪˈhensɪv/adjectiveincluding all or nearly all elements or aspects全面的The company offers comprehensive training programs
exhilarating/ɪgˈzɪləreɪtɪŋ/adjectivemaking one feel very happy, animated, or elated令人兴奋的Working for a start-up can provide an exhilarating environment
innovation/ˌinəˈveɪʃn/nounthe action or process of innovating创新Start-ups often have a focus on innovation
adaptability/əˌdæptəˈbɪlɪti/nounthe quality of being able to adjust to new conditions适应性Start-ups foster creativity and adaptability in new graduates
prone/proʊn/adjectivelikely to suffer from, do, or experience something易于…的Inexperienced employees at start-ups may be prone to making mistakes
costly/ˈkɔːstli/adjectiveexpensive; high-priced昂贵的Costly mistakes could negatively impact their future career
prospects/ˈprɒspekts/nounthe possibility or likelihood of some future event前景These mistakes could affect their career prospects
professional/prəˈfeʃənl/adjective_relating to or connected with a profession_专业的_The training sessions contributed to my professional growth
dynamic/daɪˈnæmɪk/_adjective_characterized by constant change, activity, or progress_充满活力的_The dynamic nature of start-ups fosters creativity and adaptability

Section Title: 6 Article Revision

In determining the ideal workplace for recent university graduates, it is crucial to weigh the benefits of both large, established companies and small start-ups. While established companies offer valuable experience and comprehensive training programs, working for a start-up can provide an exhilarating environment with a focus on innovation. For instance, my first job at a renowned internet company included regular training sessions on UI design applications, which significantly contributed to my professional growth and subsequent career opportunities. However, some may argue that the dynamic nature of start-ups fosters creativity and adaptability in new graduates. Despite this potential advantage, inexperienced employees at start-ups may be more prone to making costly mistakes that could negatively impact their future career prospects.

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.

Rooting for Your Goal Score Today!

With LingoLeap, an expert in English exams

Get to Your Dream Score Faster

Try for free now