All Samples

TOEFL Academic Discussion Writing Sample: Your professor is teaching a class on economics. 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

Real user submissions with AI-powered evaluation and feedback

4 user-submitted samples available

Start Free Practice

Task Overview

Professor

When people are asked about the most important discoveries or inventions made in the last two hundred years, they usually mention something very obvious, like the computer or the cell phone. But there are thousands of other discoveries or inventions that have had a huge impact on how we live today. What scientific discovery or technological invention from the last 200 years other than computers and cell phones would you choose as being important? Why?

Student A

I mean, we're so used to science and technology that we are not even aware of all the things we use in our daily lives. I would probably choose space satellites. This technology happened in the last hundred years, and it has become important for so many things. Justthink about navigation, or telecommunications, or even the military.

Student B

I am thinking about medical progress. Like, for example, when scientists discovered things about healthy nutrition. I am thinking of identifying all the vitamins we need to stay healthy. I am not sure exactly when the vitamin discoveries happened, but I know they are very important. Our health is much better than it was 200 years ago.

User Samples & Evaluation Results

User Sample

If I had to choose one in particular it will probably be vaccine or antibiotics. With Pasteur's work and discoveries, the world changed in a way people couldn't imagine. So many people were dying really young because at that time life's conditions were not as good as the one we have now. With vaccine, we could now irradicate diseases that were killing millions of people, we learn so much about the immune system and ways our body was reacting to pathogens and the answers he could produce to defend us against it. Medicine evolved so much and keeps evolving every day because scientists are curious to understand how our body is working and how he is able to communicate with our environment. People aged 40 are now not that old and still have a really long life to live and enjoy when 2 centuries ago it was synonymous of 80% chance of dying.

Evaluation Result

1. 子项得分

  • Relevance and Contribution to Discussion: 5

  • Clarity and Elaboration of Viewpoint: 4.5

  • Language Use and Grammar: 4

2. 预估分数

  • Estimated Score: 27

3. 任务完成度

这篇文章在任务完成方面做得很好,回答了教授的问题,并提供了充分的理由支持自己的观点。然而,为了进一步改进,可以尝试更详细地说明疫苗和抗生素如何改变人们的生活,并提供更多具体的例子来支持观点。

英文示例1:One example of how vaccines have changed our lives is the eradication of smallpox, a deadly disease that used to kill millions of people. Thanks to the development of a vaccine, smallpox has been completely eradicated, saving countless lives.

英文示例2:Antibiotics have also revolutionized medicine by allowing doctors to treat bacterial infections effectively. For instance, before the discovery of penicillin, a simple infection could lead to severe complications or even death. Now, antibiotics can quickly cure most bacterial infections, significantly improving our quality of life.

4. 文章结构与组织

文章结构方面基本合理,包括引言、主体和结论。但是,可以考虑在引言部分更明确地介绍主题,并在结论部分总结文章要点。此外,在段落之间使用更清晰的过渡词或短语也有助于提高文章的连贯性。

英文示例1:在引言部分,可以这样写:“In response to the professor's question, I believe that vaccines and antibiotics are among the most important scientific discoveries in the last 200 years. They have revolutionized medicine and significantly improved our quality of life.”

英文示例2:在结论部分,可以这样写:“In conclusion, vaccines and antibiotics have played a crucial role in shaping our modern world by eradicating deadly diseases and improving our overall health. Their impact on human lives is immense, making them one of the most important scientific discoveries in the last 200 years.”

5. 语法批改

If I had to choose one in particularparticular,(This rule identifies whether commas are missing in a sentence.) it will probably be vaccine or antibiotics. With Pasteur's work and discoveries, the world changed in a way people couldn't imagine. So many people were dying really young because at that time life's conditions were not as good as the one we have now. With vaccine, we could now irradicateirradiate(misspelling) diseases that were killing millions of people, we learn so much about the immune system and ways our body was reacting to pathogens and the answers he could produce to defend us against it. Medicine evolved so much and keeps evolving every day because scientists are curious to understand how our body is working and how he is able to communicate with our environment. People aged 40 are now not that old and still have a really long life to live and enjoyenjoy,(This rule identifies whether commas are missing in a sentence.) when 2 centuries ago it was synonymous of 80% chance of dying.

Section Title: 6 Article Revision

In response to the professor's question, I would argue that the development of vaccines and antibiotics has been one of the most significant scientific discoveries in the past two centuries. The groundbreaking work of Louis Pasteur revolutionized our understanding of infectious diseases and paved the way for life-saving immunizations. Vaccines have since enabled us to eradicate or control numerous deadly diseases, saving countless lives and vastly improving public health. Additionally, our knowledge of the immune system has grown exponentially, shedding light on how our bodies interact with pathogens and mount defenses against them. As a result, modern medicine continues to advance at an unprecedented pace, driven by researchers' curiosity about human biology and its relationship with our environment. Consequently, individuals in their 40s today can expect longer, healthier lives than their counterparts two centuries ago – a testament to the transformative power of vaccines and antibiotics. (151 words)

If In response to the professor's question (clarifies the context), I had would argue that the development of vaccines and antibiotics has been one of the most significant scientific discoveries in the past two centuries (more formal and precise). The groundbreaking work of Louis Pasteur (specifies the scientist) revolutionized our understanding of infectious diseases and paved the way for life-saving immunizations. Vaccines have since enabled us to choose one in particular it will probably be vaccine eradicate or antibiotics. With Pasteur's work control numerous deadly diseases (more concise), saving countless lives and discoveries, the world changed in a way people couldn't imagine. So many people were dying really young because at that time life's conditions were not as good as the one we have now. With vaccine, we could now irradicate diseases that were killing millions vastly improving public health. Additionally, our knowledge of people, we learn so much about the immune system and ways has grown exponentially, shedding light on how our body was reacting to bodies interact with pathogens and the answers he could produce mount defenses against them (clearer phrasing). As a result, modern medicine continues to defend us against it. Medicine evolved so much advance at an unprecedented pace, driven by researchers' curiosity about human biology and keeps evolving every day because scientists are curious to understand how our body is working and how he is able to communicate its relationship with our environment. People aged 40 are now not that old and still have a really long life to live and enjoy when 2 environment (provides context for ongoing progress). Consequently, individuals in their 40s today can expect longer, healthier lives than their counterparts two centuries ago it was synonymous – a testament to the transformative power of 80% chance of dying.vaccines and antibiotics (concludes with a strong statement about the impact).

Display title: 8 思维导图


1. Introduction
   - Development of vaccines and antibiotics
   - Louis Pasteur's work

2. Impact on infectious diseases
   - Eradication or control of deadly diseases
   - Improved public health

3. Advances in immune system knowledge
   - Understanding of body's defenses against pathogens

4. Modern medicine advancements
   - Rapid pace of research and development

5. Longer, healthier lives for individuals today
   - Comparison to counterparts two centuries ago

6. Conclusion 
   - Transformative power of vaccines and antibiotics 

Display title: 9 关键词

WordPhonetic SymbolPart of SpeechEnglish DefinitionSimplified Chinese TranslationSample Sentence
groundbreaking/ˈgraʊndˌbreɪkɪŋ/adjectiveinnovative; pioneering开创性的Louis Pasteur's work was groundbreaking in the field of immunology.
eradicate/ɪˈrædɪkeɪt/verbto completely destroy or get rid of something根除Vaccines have helped to eradicate many deadly diseases.
pathogens/ˈpæθədʒən/nouna bacterium, virus, or other microorganisms that can cause disease.病原体Our immune system defends our body against various pathogens.
unprecedented/ʌnˈprɛsɪdəntɪd/adjectivenever done or known before空前的The pace of modern medicine advancements is unprecedented.
immunizations/ˌɪm.jə.nəˈzeɪ.ʃən/nounthe action of making a person or animal immune to infection, typically by inoculation免疫接种Vaccines paved the way for life-saving immunizations.
counterparts/ˈkaʊntərpɑrt/nouna person or thing that corresponds to or has the same function as another对应物Individuals today can expect longer lives than their counterparts two centuries ago.
curiosity/ˌkjʊr.iˈɒs.ɪ.ti/nouna strong desire to know or learn something好奇心Researchers' curiosity drives the advancement of modern medicine.
testament/ˈtes.tə.mənt/nounsomething that serves as a sign or evidence of a specified fact, event, or quality证明,见证Longer, healthier lives are a testament to the power of vaccines and antibiotics.
transformative/trænsˈfɔrmətɪv/adjectivecausing a marked change in someone or something变革性的The development of vaccines and antibiotics has been transformative for public health.

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