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TOEFL Academic Discussion Writing Sample: Your professor is teaching a class on international relations. Write a post responding to the professor's question. In your response, you should do the following. Express and support your opinion. Make a contribution to the discussion in your own words. An effective response will contain at least 100 words.

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Task Overview

Professor

Professor: Today, we're going to talk about the best way to find a job in a new city. There are various methods that are commonly used, including asking friends for job leads, searching for job ads online or in print, sending a letter of introduction or resume to a company you're interested in, and so on and so forth. Which method do you think is the most effective and why?

Student A

Sara: In my experience, the best way to find a job in a new city is by reaching out to your network of friends, family, and acquaintances. By asking for job leads, you can tap into the hidden job market and find opportunities that may not be advertised publicly. Additionally, having a personal connection can help you stand out in the job search process and give you an edge over other candidates.

Student B

David: I understand Sara’s view, but I must respectfully express my disagreement. I think the most effective way to find a job in a new city is to search for job ads online or in print. Job ads are posted by companies that are actively seeking to fill positions, so you know that there is an actual job opening to apply to. Additionally, many job search websites allow you to filter your search by location, skills, and other factors to narrow down your options.

User Samples & Evaluation Results

User Sample

I prefer to directly submit my resume to a company. In today's highly competitive job market, employers are seeking specialized talent. Therefore, showcasing your value, abilities, and experiences directly to a company is the most effective way to secure a higher-paying job. While it's true that, as Sara pointed out, seeking job leads through personal connections can be beneficial, relying solely on personal connections may lead the company to perceive you as lacking in value and potentially result in lower compensation. This stereotype could ultimately lead to dissatisfaction and resignation from the company. Although online job postings offer numerous opportunities, many of them contain misleading or false information, which often becomes apparent only after joining the company.

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

这篇文章在回答问题时表现出较高的相关性,但在支持观点方面可以做得更好。首先,你可以为你的观点提供更多具体的例子和细节。此外,在讨论其他同学观点时,尝试对他们的观点进行更深入的分析和比较。

Example 1: Instead of just mentioning that online job postings contain misleading information, you could provide an example of a situation where someone encountered such a problem.

Example 2: When discussing the benefits of directly submitting a resume, you could provide more details on how this method allows you to tailor your application to the specific company and position.

4. 文章结构与组织

文章整体结构清晰,但可以在段落划分和过渡方面做得更好。首先,确保每个段落都集中讨论一个特定的观点,并提供相应的支持细节。其次,在段落之间使用过渡词或短语来帮助读者理解不同观点之间的联系。

Example 1: Instead of starting a new paragraph with "Although online job postings offer numerous opportunities," you could use a transition phrase like "On the other hand" to signal that you are presenting an opposing viewpoint.

Example 2: When discussing the drawbacks of relying on personal connections, you could use a phrase like "For instance" to introduce a specific example that supports your argument.

5. 语法批改

I prefer to directly submit my resume to a company. In today's highly competitive job market, employers are seeking specialized talent. Therefore, showcasing your value, abilities, and experiences directly to a company is the most effective way to secure a higher-paying job. While it's true that, as Sara pointed out, seeking job leads through personal connections can be beneficial, relying solely on personal connections may lead the company to perceive you as lacking in value and potentially result in lower compensation. This stereotype could ultimately lead to dissatisfaction and resignation from the company. Although online job postings offer numerous opportunities, many of them contain misleading or false information, which often becomes apparent only after joining the company.

Title: 6 文章修订

In my opinion, directly submitting a resume to a company is the most effective method for finding a job in a new city. In the current competitive job market, employers are searching for specialized skills and talents. By presenting your value, abilities, and experiences directly to a company, you increase your chances of securing a higher-paying position.

While Sara's suggestion of utilizing personal connections to find job leads has its merits, relying solely on these connections may lead employers to perceive you as less valuable, potentially resulting in lower compensation. This perception could ultimately contribute to dissatisfaction and eventually leaving the company.

On the other hand, David's approach of using online job postings does provide numerous opportunities; however, many of these postings contain misleading or false information. Such inaccuracies often become evident only after joining the company, which can lead to disappointment and wasted time. (148 words)

Revised essay: Title: 7 文章批改

I prefer to directly submit my resume to a company. company (Changed "directly" to "submit" for clarity and natural English phrasing). In today's highly competitive job market, employers are seeking specialized talent. talent (Changed "talent" to "skills and talents" for better flow). Therefore, showcasing your value, abilities, and experiences directly to a company is the most effective way to secure a higher-paying job. job (Added "to secure a higher-paying position" for clarity).

While it's true that, as Sara pointed out, seeking job leads through personal connections can be beneficial, relying solely on personal connections may lead the company to perceive you as lacking in value and potentially result in lower compensation. compensation (Changed "lead the company" to "lead employers" for consistency). This stereotype could ultimately lead to dissatisfaction and resignation from the company. company (Changed "resignation from the company" to "eventually leaving the company" for better flow).

Although online job postings offer numerous opportunities, many of them contain misleading or false information, which often becomes apparent only after joining the company.company (Changed "joining the company" to "after joining the company" for clarity).

Title: 8 思维导图

Mindmap:

1. Introduction
   - Effective job search method
   - Competitive job market

2. Directly submitting resume
   - Specialized skills and talents
   - Higher-paying position

3. Personal connections (Sara's suggestion)
   - Merits of connections
   - Potential negative perception

4. Online job postings (David's approach)
   - Numerous opportunities
   - Misleading or false information

5. Conclusion
   - Direct resume submission as the most effective method

Title: 9 关键词

WordPhonetic SymbolPart of SpeechEnglish DefinitionSimplified Chinese TranslationSample Sentence
competitive/kəmˈpetɪtɪv/adjectiveinvolving competition竞争的The job market is highly competitive these days.
specialized/ˈspeʃəˌlaɪzd/adjectivedesigned for a particular purpose专业的Employers are looking for candidates with specialized skills.
compensation/kəmˌpenˈseɪʃən/nounpayment, especially for work or services补偿,报酬Lower compensation may lead to dissatisfaction among employees.
perception/pərˈsepʃən/nounthe way you think about something认知,看法Relying on connections may lead to a negative perception from employers.
misleading/mɪsˈliːdɪŋ/adjectivegiving the wrong idea or impression误导的Many online job postings contain misleading information.
resume/rɪˈzjum/nouna brief account of a person's education and qualifications, typically sent with a job application简历Submitting a resume directly to a company can be an effective job search method.
dissatisfaction/ˌdɪsˌsætɪsˈfækʃən/nounthe feeling of being unhappy because something is not as good as it should be不满意Lower compensation may lead to dissatisfaction among employees.
opportunities/ˌɑpərˈtunəti/nounfavorable circumstances for achieving something机会Online job postings provide numerous opportunities for job seekers.
talents/ˈtælənt/nounnatural abilities or qualities, especially in a particular activity才能,天赋Employers are searching for talents in the competitive job market.
specialized/ˈspeʃəˌlaɪzd/adjectivedesigned for a particular purpose or function专业的,专门的By presenting your specialized skills, you increase your chances of securing a higher-paying position.

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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