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

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Task Overview

Professor

For today's discussion, let's think about the problem of young people's lacking of independence. Some people think that young people nowadays are more dependent on their parents. At the same time, others believe that they do not have this problem at all and even become more independent than before. What is your take?

Claire

I think young people lack independence nowadays. Even in their 20s, many college students still rely on their parents to take care of them. Many can't cook, can't do laundry and lack basic life skills. In the past, children took care of themselves from an early age and even helped their parents look after their siblings.

Joey

I don't agree with Claire. Now more and more young people do part-time jobs or start their own businesses while they are in school and don't depend on their parents financially, so they can live apart from their parents earlier. It has become a trend for young people to live alone and young people without self-care ability are just the exception.

User Samples & Evaluation Results

User Sample

Whether this generation possesses a higher level of independence seems to be a heated topic these years, and I firmly believe that our generation does become less dependent. On one hand, both Joey's and Claire’s arguments lack an all-rounded examination of the criteria of independence evaluation. Even if parents nowadays are responsible to pay the school bills for their kids, it only shows the students’ financial reliances on their families to some degree, but not equal to students’ lack of independence as a whole. Becoming independent is not about paying your own bill, it should be focus on the mental maturity and personalities. These days, students are braver and more experienced to try out new things, from making friends with foreigners to travel to the other sphere of the earth, showing their splendid independence and live-by-yourself attitudes compared to the previous generations. Also, Many official statistics have shown that many successful businessmen and owners of start-ups are under 30, suggesting many highly-independent minds among the youngest. In conclusion, young people these days are independent and confident under the diverse and EQ-oriented evaluation criterium and deserve our respects and cheers.

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

此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,可以更具体地提供一些例子来支持你的观点。此外,尽管文章提到了年轻人在心理成熟和个性方面的独立性,但在讨论中没有详细解释这些方面。为了使文章更有说服力,建议对这些方面进行更深入的探讨。

示例1(改进):这些天,学生们更加勇敢、富有经验地尝试新事物,从与外国人交朋友到环游世界各地。例如,在国际交流项目中,许多年轻人独自前往其他国家学习和生活,展示了他们与以往不同的独立精神。

示例2(改进):关于心理成熟和个性方面的独立性,现代年轻人在面对挑战和解决问题时表现出更强的自主能力。他们不再依赖父母为他们解决问题,而是学会独立思考和寻求解决方案。

4. 文章结构与组织

文章的结构和组织方面表现良好,包括引言、正文和结论。然而,在正文部分,可以使用更明确的过渡词或短语来连接不同的观点和段落。此外,建议在引言部分更明确地提出你的观点,以便让读者一开始就了解你的立场。

建议1(改进):在引言中更明确地提出观点:“我坚信,现代年轻人在心理成熟、个性和生活技能等多方面表现出更高程度的独立性。”

建议2(改进):使用过渡词或短语连接段落:“首先,我们需要重新审视衡量独立性的标准。其次,在心理成熟和个性方面,现代年轻人表现出更高程度的独立性。”

5. 语法批改

Whether this generation possesses a higher level of independence seems to be a heated topic these years, and I firmly believe that our generation does become less dependent. On one hand, both Joey's and Claire’s arguments lack an all-rounded examination of the criteria of independence evaluation. Even if parents nowadays are responsible to pay the school bills for their kids, it only shows the students’ financial reliances onreliance son(misspelling) their families to some degree, but not equal to students’ lack of independence as a whole. Becoming independent is not about paying your own bill, it should be focusfocused(should be do (done)) on the mental maturity and personalities. These days, students are braver and more experienced to try out new things, from making friends with foreigners to travel to the other sphere of the earth, showing their splendid independence and live-by-yourself attitudes compared to the previous generations. Also, Many official statistics have shown that many successful businessmen and owners of start-ups are under 30, suggesting many highly-independent minds among the youngest. In conclusion, young people these days are independent and confident under the diverse and EQ-orientedOriented(misspelling) evaluation criteriumcriteria(misspelling) and deserve our respects and cheers.

Title: 6 文章修订

The debate over whether the current generation exhibits a greater level of independence is a contentious one. In my opinion, our generation has indeed become less dependent on others.

Firstly, it is essential to recognize that both Joey's and Claire's arguments do not comprehensively address the various aspects of independence. While some young people may rely on their parents for financial support, this does not necessarily equate to a lack of overall independence. True independence extends beyond financial autonomy and encompasses mental maturity and personal growth. In this regard, contemporary youth demonstrate remarkable self-reliance and adaptability when faced with new experiences, such as forming connections with individuals from diverse backgrounds or traveling to distant parts of the world.

Furthermore, numerous official statistics indicate that many successful entrepreneurs and startup founders are under the age of 30. This suggests that there is no shortage of highly independent and innovative minds among today's youth. As such, it is crucial to evaluate young people's independence through a more comprehensive lens that takes into account their emotional intelligence and personal development.

In light of these considerations, it is evident that today's youth are indeed independent and confident individuals who merit our admiration and support. (203 words)

Whether this The debate over whether the current generation possesses a higher exhibits a greater level of independence seems to be a heated topic these years, and I firmly believe that is a contentious one (rephrased for clarity and conciseness). In my opinion, our generation does has indeed become less dependent. dependent on others (rephrased for clarity).

On one hand, Firstly, it is essential to recognize that both Joey's and Claire’s Claire's arguments lack an all-rounded examination of the criteria of independence evaluation. Even if parents nowadays are responsible to pay the school bills for their kids, it only shows the students’ financial reliances do not comprehensively address the various aspects of independence (rephrased for clarity and conciseness). While some young people may rely on their families to some degree, but parents for financial support, this does not equal to students’ necessarily equate to a lack of independence as a whole. Becoming independent is not about paying your own bill, it should be focus on the overall independence (clarified meaning). True independence extends beyond financial autonomy and encompasses mental maturity and personalities. These days, students are braver and more experienced to try out personal growth (expanded on the concept of independence). In this regard, contemporary youth demonstrate remarkable self-reliance and adaptability when faced with new things, experiences, such as forming connections with individuals from making friends with foreigners to travel to the other sphere of the earth, showing their splendid independence and live-by-yourself attitudes compared to the previous generations. Also, Many diverse backgrounds or traveling to distant parts of the world (provided examples to support the argument).

Furthermore, numerous official statistics have shown indicate that many successful businessmen and owners of start-ups entrepreneurs and startup founders are under 30, suggesting many highly-independent the age of 30 (clarified source of information). This suggests that there is no shortage of highly independent and innovative minds among the youngest. today's youth (explained implication of statistics). As such, it is crucial to evaluate young people's independence through a more comprehensive lens that takes into account their emotional intelligence and personal development (suggested an alternative evaluation method).

In conclusion, young people light of these days considerations, it is evident that today's youth are indeed independent and confident under the diverse and EQ-oriented evaluation criterium and deserve individuals who merit our respects and cheers.admiration and support (summarized main points in conclusion).

8 思维导图


1. 独立性争论
   - 当代青年独立性辩论

2. 财务支持与独立性
   - 父母的经济支持并不等于缺乏独立性

3. 真正的独立性
   - 心理成熟和个人成长

4. 当代青年的自主能力和适应力
   - 结交不同背景的朋友,环游世界等新体验

5. 成功企业家和创业者年轻化趋势
   - 30岁以下创业者数量增加,表现出高度独立和创新思维

6. 更全面的评价标准
   - 考虑情商和个人发展等方面来评价青年人的独立性

7. 结论:当代青年具有独立自信特质 
   - 值得我们敬佩和支持 

9 关键词

WordPhonetic SymbolPart of SpeechEnglish definitionSimplified Chinese translationSample sentences
contentious/kənˈtɛnʃəs/adjectivecausing or likely to cause an argument; disputed有争议的The debate over whether the current generation exhibits a greater level of independence is contentious.
autonomy/ɔːˈtɒnəmi/nounthe right or condition of self-government自治,自主True independence extends beyond financial autonomy and encompasses mental maturity and personal growth.
adaptability/əˌdæptəˈbɪlɪti/nounthe quality of being able to adjust to new conditions适应能力Contemporary youth demonstrate remarkable self-reliance and adaptability when faced with new experiences.
diverse/daɪˈvɜrs, dɪ-/adjectiveshowing a great deal of variety; very different多样的,不同的Forming connections with individuals from diverse backgrounds is an example of young people's adaptability.
entrepreneur/ˌɒntrəprəˈnɜr/nouna person who sets up a business or businesses, taking on financial risks in the hope of profit企业家Numerous official statistics indicate that many successful entrepreneurs are under the age of 30.
startup/ˈstɑrtʌp/nouna newly established business创业公司Many startup founders are under the age of 30, suggesting highly independent and innovative minds among today's youth.
comprehensive/kəmprɪˈhensiv/adjectiveincluding or dealing with all or nearly all elements or aspects of something全面的,综合性的It is crucial to evaluate young people's independence through a more comprehensive lens.
emotional intelligence/ɪˈməʊʃənəl ɪnˈtɛlɪdʒəns/nounthe capacity to be aware of, control, and express one's emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically情商A comprehensive evaluation of young people's independence should take into account their emotional intelligence.
personal development/ˈpɜrsənl dɪˈvɛləpmənt/nounactivities that improve awareness and identity, develop talents and potential, build human capital and facilitate employability, enhance the quality of life and contribute to the realization of dreams and aspirations个人发展Personal development is an important aspect when evaluating young people's independence.

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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