All Samples

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.

Real user submissions with AI-powered evaluation and feedback

2 user-submitted samples available

Start Free Practice

Task Overview

Doctor Smith

With so many opportunities to connect nowadays, some people believe that no matter which country we come from. we have more similarities than we have differences. However, others have observed that differences between themselves and people from other countries are growing. In your view, are differences between people from different countries increasing, or are they diminishing? Why?

Amy

I think the differences among us are decreasing as our exposure to products from other countries grows. We can enjoy food from any country. We can watch movies made in faraway places. We can go to a store and buy authentic goods from around the world. These things become part of our normal life and make our differences seem smaller.

Rory

I understand what Amy is saying, but for some people, being exposed to differences makes them retreat into their own corner even more. Look at social media. We are exposed to many different people and ideas, but a lot of people talk to only those they agree with and ignore the rest. This only makes the difference between people increase.

User Samples & Evaluation Results

User Sample

In my opinion, I am inclined to approve of the statement of Amy when she contends that the differences among us are decreasing as our exposure to products from other countries grows. Besides the reason of what Amy claimed, I reckon that differences between people from different countries are decreasing, because with a deeper understanding of each other's cultures and conventions, the more similaritie s between the countries will be discoverd. To be specific, I used to meet a Japanese friend when I was in highschool. What surprises me most is that many cultures from Japan are really similar to ours, such as renuiting families together during the Spring Festival and enjoying the Chineses new years. It enhanced my horizens about the whole world, and making acknowledged that there are some many similarity among countries. Therefore, I am in the line with the opinion that differences between people from different countries are decreasing.

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: 3.5

2. 预估分数

25. 3 任务完成度

从任务完成度的角度来看,这篇文章基本上满足了题目要求,表达了作者的观点,并对讨论做出了贡献。但是,文章在语言运用和语法方面还有待提高。建议在写作时注意以下几点:

  1. 使用更丰富、更准确的词汇;

  2. 注意语法错误,避免使用不恰当的表达。

例如:

  • 原文:“It enhanced my horizens about the whole world, and making acknowledged that there are some many similarity among countries.”

  • 改进:“It broadened my horizons about the world, making me realize that there are numerous similarities among countries.”

  • 原文:“I am in the line with the opinion that differences between people from different countries are decreasing.”

  • 改进:“I am in agreement with the opinion that differences between people from different countries are decreasing.”

4. 文章结构与组织

从文章结构和组织的角度来看,这篇文章整体上表现良好。然而,在某些地方可以进一步改进以使文章更加清晰和连贯。建议在写作时注意以下几点:

  1. 在引入论点时使用恰当的过渡词或短语;

  2. 确保每个段落都有明确的主题句和支持细节。

例如:

  • 原文:“Besides the reason of what Amy claimed, I reckon that differences between people from different countries are decreasing...”

  • 改进:“In addition to Amy's argument, I believe that differences between people from different countries are decreasing...”

  • 原文:“To be specific, I used to meet a Japanese friend when I was in highschool.”

  • 改进:“For instance, when I was in high school, I had a Japanese friend who introduced me to many aspects of their culture.”

5. 语法批改

In my opinion, I am inclined to approve of the statement of Amy when she contends that the differences among us are decreasing as our exposure to products from other countries grows. Besides the reason of what Amy claimed, I reckon that differences between people from different countries are decreasing, because with a deeper understanding of each other's cultures and conventions, the more similaritie ssimilarities(misspelling) between the countries will be discoverddiscovered(misspelling). To be specific, I used to meet a Japanese friend when I was in highschoolhigh school(misspelling). What surprises me most is that many cultures from Japan are really similar to ours, such as renuitingreuniting(misspelling) families together during the Spring Festival and enjoying the ChinesesChinese's(misspelling) new years. It enhanced my horizenshorizons(misspelling) about the whole world, and making acknowledged that there are some many similaritymany similarities(Possible agreement error: 'many/several/few' + singular countable noun) among countries. Therefore, I am in the line with the opinion that differences between people from different countries are decreasing.

Title: 6 文章修订

In my opinion, I concur with Amy's assertion that the differences among us are diminishing as our exposure to products and cultures from other countries increases. In addition to Amy's reasoning, I believe that as people gain a deeper understanding of each other's customs and traditions, they will discover more similarities between their respective nations. For instance, during high school, I befriended a Japanese student and was astonished to find numerous cultural parallels between Japan and my own country, such as the importance of family reunions during the Spring Festival and the shared enjoyment of Chinese New Year celebrations. This experience broadened my worldview and made me realize that there are indeed many similarities among different countries. Consequently, I firmly support the notion that differences between people from various nations are decreasing. (135 words)

In my opinion, I am concur (Changed "am inclined to approve of the statement of Amy when she contends of" to "concur" for a more natural and concise expression) with Amy's assertion that the differences among us are decreasing diminishing (Changed "decreasing" to "diminishing" for better word choice) as our exposure to products and cultures (Added "and cultures" for clarity) from other countries grows. Besides the reason of what Amy claimed, I reckon that differences between increases. In addition to Amy's reasoning, I believe that as people from different countries are decreasing, because with gain a deeper understanding of each other's cultures and conventions, the customs and traditions (Changed "cultures and conventions" to "customs and traditions" for better word choice), they will discover more similaritie s similarities between the countries will be discoverd. To be specific, I used to meet their respective nations. For instance, during high school, I befriended (Changed "used to meet" to "befriended" for a more natural expression) a Japanese friend when I student and was in highschool. What astonished (Changed "What surprises me most is that many cultures from that" to "was astonished" for better flow) to find numerous cultural parallels between Japan are really similar to ours, and my own country, such as renuiting families together the importance of family reunions during the Spring Festival and enjoying the Chineses new years. It enhanced the shared enjoyment of Chinese New Year celebrations (Rephrased sentence for clarity). This experience broadened my horizens about the whole world, and making acknowledged worldview (Changed "horizens" to "worldview") and made me realize that there are some indeed many similarity similarities among different countries. Therefore, I am in the line with the opinion Consequently, I firmly support the notion that differences between people from different countries various nations are decreasing.

Display title: 8 思维导图


1. Introduction
   - Agree with Amy's assertion
   - Exposure to products and cultures

2. Personal experience
   - Befriending a Japanese student
   - Discovering cultural parallels

3. Examples of similarities
   - Importance of family reunions during Spring Festival
   - Shared enjoyment of Chinese New Year celebrations

4. Broader worldview
   - Realization of similarities among different countries

5. Conclusion
   - Support the notion that differences are decreasing

Display title: 9 关键词

WordPhonetic SymbolPart of SpeechEnglish definitionSimplified Chinese translationSample sentences
assertion/əˈsɜːrʃən/nouna confident statement or declaration主张,断言Amy's assertion about diminishing differences was convincing.
exposure/ɪkˈspoʊʒər/nounthe state of being exposed to something暴露,接触Our exposure to other cultures has increased significantly in recent years.
customs/ˈkʌstəmz/nountraditional practices or behaviors风俗,习惯Understanding each other's customs can help bridge cultural gaps.
traditions/trəˈdɪʃənz/nounlong-established beliefs or practices传统Many countries have unique traditions that are celebrated annually.
parallels/ˈpærəlɛlz/nounsimilarities or resemblances相似之处,类似点I was astonished to find numerous cultural parallels between Japan and my own country.
worldview/ˈwɜrldˌvju/nouna person's perspective on the world世界观This experience broadened my worldview and made me realize that there are indeed many similarities among different countries.
notion/ˈnoʊʃən/nounan idea or belief观念,看法I firmly support the notion that differences between people from various nations are decreasing.
diminishing/dɪˈmɪnɪʃɪŋ/adjectivebecoming smaller or less减少的,逐渐消失的The differences among us are diminishing as our exposure to products and cultures from other countries increases.
respective/rɪˈspɛktɪv/adjectivebelonging or relating separately to each各自的As people gain a deeper understanding of each other's customs and traditions, they will discover more similarities between their respective nations.

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