TOEFL TPO -1 Academic Discussion Writing Sample: Your professor is teaching a class on history& culture. Write a post responding to the professor’s question.
Real user submissions with AI-powered evaluation and feedback
3 user-submitted samples available
Start Free PracticeTask Overview
Professor
As I was saying, some universities don’t have classes where students can learn about world history. However, some universities require students to take a course on world history in order to graduate. I want you to have a discussion about this and tell me do you think all students should learn about world history at university.
Student A
I believe all students should learn about world history at university. Through learning, we can have a better understanding of the heritage of humankind, and thus having a clear mind about where we came from and where we are heading. In my opinion, this benefit is universal.
Student B
I don’t think all students should learn about world history at university. Some students like myself just aren’t that interested in culture and history. We prefer to spend our time on doing science experiments and field research. So, if it becomes a compulsory thing, it’s likely to be a waste of time for us.
User Samples & Evaluation Results
User Sample
Influenced by the prevaling view that learning history could help people to learn lessons from the past events and do a better job in the future, many universities start to offer world history class for students. However, because of the tight schedule of university students, the benefits of providing every students with world history class and referring it as a graduate requirement are overshadowed by their drawbacks. Students whose major do not related to world history are so exhausted by their major courses that they do not have rest energy to take this kind of class. To illustrate this point, I would like to take my own experience for example. As a student who major in chemistry, when I studied in my university, I have to take part in at least ten courses each semester. Spending six and a half day on articipating courses and completing their assignments have already made me exhausted, let alone taking world history class, which is nothing to do with my professional development. Therefore, I believe that not all students should be asked to take a world history class which could add extra burden to them.
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
Estimated Score: 27
3. 任务完成度
这篇文章在回答问题方面做得很好,但仍有一些改进的空间。首先,你可以尝试提供更多具体的例子来支持你的观点。例如,你可以讨论一下学习世界历史对于那些专注于科学和技术领域的学生来说是如何不切实际的。此外,在文章中加入一些对于赞成方观点的讨论也会使文章更加全面。
Example 1: Instead of just mentioning your personal experience, you could provide a more general example, such as "Students majoring in engineering or computer science may find it difficult to allocate time for a world history course due to their already demanding course load."
Example 2: You could add a counterargument, such as "While some may argue that learning world history can broaden one's perspective and foster critical thinking skills, it is important to consider the practicality of making it a requirement for all students."
4. 文章结构与组织
文章的结构和组织方面基本上是清晰的,但仍有改进空间。首先,可以在开头部分明确提出自己的观点,并在结尾部分进行总结。其次,在正文部分中使用过渡词汇可以使文章更加流畅。
Example 1: In the introduction, you could write, "In this essay, I will argue that not all students should be required to take a world history course due to the potential burden it may impose on their academic workload."
Example 2: Use transition words or phrases to improve the flow of your essay. For example, "Furthermore, students with different interests and career goals may not find world history relevant to their future endeavors."
5. 语法批改
Influenced by the prevalingprevailing(misspelling) view that learning history could help people to learn lessons from the past events and do a better job in the future, many universities start to offer world history class for students. However, because of the tight schedule of university students, the benefits of providing every studentsstudent('every/each' + SINGULAR) with world history class and referring it as a graduate requirement are overshadowed by their drawbacks. Students whose major do not related to world history are so exhausted by their major courses that they do not have rest energy to take this kind of class. To illustrate this point, I would like to take my own experience for example. As a student who major in chemistry, when I studied in my university, I have to take part in at least ten courses each semester. Spending six and a half day on articipatingparticipating(misspelling) courses and completing their assignments have already made me exhausted, let alone taking world history class, which is nothing to do with my professional development. Therefore, I believe that not all students should be asked to take a world history classclass,(This rule identifies whether commas are missing in a sentence.) which could add extra burden to them.
Section Title: The Necessity of World History Education for All Students
In response to the professor's question, I believe that while learning history can indeed provide valuable insights into past events and help shape a better future, mandating world history courses for all university students may not be the most effective approach. The demanding schedules and diverse interests of students must be taken into consideration when designing curricula. For instance, students whose majors are unrelated to world history may find themselves overwhelmed by their existing coursework and unable to fully engage with an additional subject.
Drawing from my personal experience as a chemistry major, I recall having to juggle numerous courses each semester, dedicating almost seven days a week to attending classes and completing assignments. Adding a world history class—which held little relevance to my professional development—would have only increased my workload and potentially hindered my academic progress in my chosen field. Consequently, I contend that requiring all students to take a world history course may impose an unnecessary burden on those who are already stretched thin by their academic commitments. (181 words)
Revised essay: Section Title: The Necessity of World History Education for All Students
Influenced by the prevaling prevailing view (corrected spelling) that learning history could help people to learn lessons from the past events and do a better job in the future, many universities start to offer world history class for students. However, because of the tight schedule of university students, the benefits of providing every students student (singular form) with a world history class and referring to it as a graduate requirement are overshadowed by their drawbacks. Students whose major majors do not related relate (corrected verb form) to world history are so exhausted by their major courses that they do not have rest energy (rephrased for clarity) to take this kind of class. To illustrate this point, I would like to take my own experience for example. example (rephrased for clarity). As a student who major majors (corrected verb form) in chemistry, when I studied in my university, I have to take part in at least ten courses each semester. Spending six and a half day days (added "s" for plural form) on articipating participating (corrected spelling) courses and completing their assignments have already made me exhausted, let alone taking a world history class, which is has nothing to do with my professional development. development (rephrased for clarity). Therefore, I believe that not all students should be asked to take a world history class which could add extra burden to them.
8 思维导图
1. The Necessity of World History Education for All Students
├── 1.1 Valuable insights from history
├── 1.2 Demanding schedules and diverse interests
│ ├── 1.2.1 Unrelated majors
│ └── 1.2.2 Overwhelmed students
└── 1.3 Personal experience as a chemistry major
├── 1.3.1 Juggling numerous courses
├── 1.3.2 Little relevance to professional development
└── 1.3.3 Unnecessary burden on academic commitments
9 关键词
| Word | Phonetic Symbol | Part of Speech | English definition | Simplified Chinese translation | Sample sentences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| insights | /ˈɪn.saɪts/ | noun | a clear, deep understanding of a complicated problem | 洞察力 | Learning history can provide valuable insights into past events and help shape a better future. |
| demanding | /dɪˈmændɪŋ/ | adjective | requiring a lot of effort, skill, or attention | 要求高的 | The demanding schedules and diverse interests of students must be taken into consideration. |
| curricula | /kəˈrɪk.jə.lə/ | noun | the subjects studied in a school, college, etc | 课程设置 | Curricula should be designed considering the diverse interests of students. |
| overwhelmed | /ˌoʊ.vərˈwɛlmd/ | / adjective | feeling like you have too much to do | 不堪重负的 | Students may find themselves overwhelmed by their existing coursework. |
| juggle | /ˈdʒʌɡ.əl/ | verb | to try to manage and balance different commitments | 尽力平衡 | I recall having to juggle numerous courses each semester. |
| relevance | /ˈrel.ə.vəns/ | noun | the quality of being directly connected or important to something | 相关性 | A world history class held little relevance to my professional development. |
| hindered | /ˈhɪn.dərd/ | verb | /to limit the ability of someone or something | /妨碍 | /Adding a world history class would have potentially hindered my academic progress in my chosen field. |
| contend | /kənˈtend/ | /verb | /to compete with others in a struggle | /争论 | /I contend that requiring all students to take a world history course may impose an unnecessary burden. |
| unnecessary | /ˌʌnˈnes.ə.ser.i/ | /adjective | /not needed | /不必要的 | /Requiring all students to take a world history course may impose an unnecessary burden on them. |
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
Read the prompt carefully and identify all parts of the question before writing.
Reference the reading passage and the other students' opinions in your response.
Use specific examples to support your main point — avoid generic statements.
Aim for 120-150 words. Longer responses are not always better; clarity and focus matter more.
Practice timed responses (10 minutes) to build fluency under exam conditions.
task_page_faq.title
task_page_faq.q1
task_page_faq.q2
task_page_faq.q3
task_page_faq.q4
task_page_faq.q5
task_page_faq.q6
Related TOEFL Academic Discussion Tasks
All TOEFL Writing Samples
Browse all user-submitted TOEFL writing samples with AI evaluation
TOEFL Academic Discussion Guide
Learn strategies and tips for the Academic Discussion writing task
TOEFL Writing Guide
Complete guide to all TOEFL writing task types and scoring
TOEFL Speaking Guide
Master all TOEFL speaking tasks with expert strategies
TOEFL Reading Guide
Strategies for TOEFL reading comprehension tasks
TOEFL Listening Guide
Tips and practice for TOEFL listening comprehension
Related TOEFL Academic Discussion Tasks
Consumer Behavior
426 user-submitted samples available
Write A Post Responding To The Professors Question
1646 user-submitted samples available
Economics
325 user-submitted samples available
Academic Discussion
1031 user-submitted samples available
Environmental Science
501 user-submitted samples available
Sociology
1683 user-submitted samples available
Rooting for Your Goal Score Today!
With LingoLeap, an expert in English exams
Get to Your Dream Score Faster