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

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6 user-submitted samples available

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Task Overview

Professor

Globalization has changed our world dramatically in the past decades. As the core of globalization, international trades have involved virtually all countries. As people enjoy products from all over the world, they also become generally better off thanks to larger markets and more work opportunities. However, opinions vary greatly regarding the benefits and losses of developing countries in international trades. Typically, developing countries sell cheap raw materials and low-level products while purchasing expensive hi-tech products or luxuries from developed countries. Some point out that this is actually an exploitation of poor countries by the rich ones. What is your opinion, do developing countries benefit from or get ripped off during international trades?

Claire

If one sees the pictures of sweatshops in developing countries, he/she will know immediately that developing countries are actually suffering losses in international trades. Developing countries normally lack high technology, and even if they develop their own technology, most of the international markets have been seized by early companies from developed countries. As a result, they have no choice but to sell their raw materials, if any, or labor-intensive products manufactured by their cheap laborers. To be fair, the lavish lives of those tycoons in rich countries are built on their exploitation of the poor workers in developing countries.

Paul

Much as I sympathize the poor workers in developing countries, I have to point out a plain fact: those workers would have been poorer were it not for their "sweatshops". Countries are like people: they need to cooperate and compete with each other through international trades. During such cooperation, poor countries can get their due shares of the wealth thus generated, which might not be much because they have not much to offer. But this gain is already much bigger than if they were to close their borders and rely on agriculture and a tiny number of industries. If there are no such sweatshops producing products for an international market, workers will have nowhere to earn their wages. I have another class to attend, but I will elaborate on the competition part later.

User Samples & Evaluation Results

User Sample

In the debate between whether developing countries benefit from international trades, I firmly believe that developing countries will damaged by this access, as Claire said. In my opinion, on one hand some developing countries do not have higher welfare and salary to attract elite people stay in these countries. In case of that, it will exacerbate the strata’s disparities and cause the serious conflict in this whole world. Paul raised a relevant point that it is benefit to remain the international trade for developing countries. However, he did not mention that people seems do not desire to stay in the developing countries. Some people who have superior talents in some fields will also need splendid working conditions and high salary, but the developing countries will not let them pleasant enough. Obviously, the negative effects will deteriorate the development of these countries. In conclusion, I believe that it is necessary that these countries should impose helpful policies to safeguard our world for future generations.

Evaluation Result

1. 子项得分

  • Relevance and Contribution to Discussion: 4.0

  • Clarity and Elaboration of Viewpoint: 3.5

  • Language Use and Grammar: 3.5

2. 预估分数

22. 3 任务完成度

在这篇文章中,你对于发展中国家是否受益于国际贸易的问题表达了自己的观点,并对两位同学的观点进行了回应。但是,你的论据有时候缺乏详细的解释和例子。为了提高文章质量,建议你在论证观点时提供更多具体例子和详细解释。

改进示例1:

  • 在论述发展中国家因为无法吸引精英人才而受损时,可以举一个具体国家或行业的例子来支持你的观点。

改进示例2:

  • 当提到发展中国家应该实施有益政策以保护未来世代时,可以给出一些建议性措施或已经实施并取得成功的政策案例。

4. 文章结构与组织

整体而言,文章结构清晰,包括引言、正文和结论。然而,在段落之间缺乏明确的过渡语句。为了提高文章组织结构,建议在段落之间添加过渡语句,并确保每个段落都集中讨论一个特定的观点。

改进示例1:

  • 在引言和正文之间,可以添加一句过渡语句,如:“在这个问题上,我同意克莱尔的观点,并认为发展中国家在国际贸易中受到了损害。”

改进示例2:

  • 在讨论保护未来世代的政策时,可以使用过渡语句引入新段落,如:“为了应对这些负面影响,发展中国家需要采取一些措施。”

5. 语法批改

In the debate between whether developing countries benefit from international trades, I firmly believe that developing countries will damageddamage(Non-infinitive verb after modal verbs) by this access, as Claire said. In my opinion, on one handhand,(This rule identifies whether commas are missing in a sentence.) some developing countries do not have higher welfare and salary to attract elite people stayto stay(This rule identifies whether the preposition 'to' is missing in a sentence.) in these countries. In[No Replacement Word Found](Successive sentences beginning with the same word) case of that, it will exacerbate the strata’s disparities and cause the serious conflict in this whole world. Paul raised a relevant point that it is benefit to remain the international trade for developing countries. However, he did not mention that people seems doseems to do(Collocation: Word + to + PRP|NNP|DT) not desire to stay in the developing countries. Some people who have superior talents in some fields will also need splendid working conditions and high salary, but the developing countries will not let them pleasant enough. Obviously, the negative effects will deteriorate the development of these countries. In conclusion, I believe that it is necessary that these countries should impose helpful policies to safeguard our world for future generations.

Title: 6 文章修订

In the discussion regarding the impact of international trade on developing countries, I concur with Claire's assertion that these nations often suffer as a result. Developing countries frequently struggle to retain top talent due to insufficient welfare systems and uncompetitive salaries, exacerbating social disparities and potentially inciting global conflict. While Paul argues that international trade benefits developing countries by providing employment opportunities, he fails to address the reluctance of skilled individuals to remain in such environments. Highly talented professionals often seek exceptional working conditions and competitive compensation, which developing nations may struggle to provide. Consequently, this brain drain hinders the progress of these countries. It is crucial for governments in developing nations to implement policies that not only promote fair participation in international trade but also foster sustainable growth for future generations. (135 words)

In the debate between whether discussion regarding the impact of international trade on developing countries benefit from (clarifying the topic), I concur with Claire's assertion that these nations often suffer as a result (rephrasing for clarity). Developing countries frequently struggle to retain top talent due to insufficient welfare systems and uncompetitive salaries (providing reasons), exacerbating social disparities and potentially inciting global conflict (explaining consequences). While Paul argues that international trades, I firmly believe that trade benefits developing countries will damaged by this access, as Claire said. In my opinion, on one hand some developing countries do not have higher welfare and salary providing employment opportunities (acknowledging counterargument), he fails to attract elite people stay in these countries. In case address the reluctance of that, it will exacerbate the strata’s disparities and cause the serious conflict in this whole world. Paul raised a relevant point that it is benefit skilled individuals to remain the international trade for developing countries. However, he did not mention that people seems do not desire to stay in the developing countries. Some people who have superior talents in some fields will also need splendid such environments (pointing out a missing aspect). Highly talented professionals often seek exceptional working conditions and high salary, but competitive compensation, which developing nations may struggle to provide (explaining why they might not stay). Consequently, this brain drain hinders the developing countries will not let them pleasant enough. Obviously, the negative effects will deteriorate the development progress of these countries. In conclusion, I believe countries (showing negative effects). It is crucial for governments in developing nations to implement policies that it is necessary that these countries should impose helpful policies to safeguard our world not only promote fair participation in international trade but also foster sustainable growth for future generations.generations (offering a solution).

8 思维导图

graph TD
A[Impact of International Trade on Developing Countries]
B[Retaining Top Talent]
C[Insufficient Welfare Systems]
D[Uncompetitive Salaries]
E[Social Disparities]
F[Global Conflict]
G[Employment Opportunities]
H[Skilled Individuals' Reluctance]
I[Sustainable Growth Policies]

A --> B
B --> C
B --> D
A --> E
E --> F
A --> G
G --> H
A --> I

9 关键词

WordPhonetic SymbolPart of SpeechEnglish DefinitionSimplified Chinese TranslationSample Sentence
international trade/ˌɪntərˈnæʃənəl treɪd/nounThe exchange of goods and services between countries国际贸易International trade has both positive and negative effects on developing countries.
developing countries/dɪˈvɛləpɪŋ ˈkʌntriz/nounCountries with a lower standard of living, underdeveloped industrial base, and low Human Development Index.发展中国家Developing countries often struggle to compete in the global market.
welfare systems/ˈwɛlfɛr ˈsɪstəmz/noun/Government programs that provide assistance to individuals and families in need/福利制度/Developing countries often have insufficient welfare systems to support their citizens.
brain drain/breɪn dreɪn/noun/The emigration of highly trained or intelligent people from a country/人才流失/The brain drain phenomenon hinders the progress of developing countries.
social disparities/ˈsoʊʃəl dɪˈspærɪtiz/noun/Differences in wealth, income, education, and opportunities among different groups in society/社会差距/Social disparities can lead to unrest and conflict within a country.
global conflict/ˈgloʊbəl ˈkɒnflɪkt/noun/A disagreement or struggle between different nations or groups that has worldwide implications/全球冲突/Unchecked social disparities can potentially incite global conflict.
employment opportunities/ɛmˈplɔɪmənt ˌɑpərˈtunətiz/nounJob openings or positions available for people to work就业机会International trade can provide employment opportunities for people in developing countries.
sustainable growth/səˈsteɪnəbəl groʊθ/nounEconomic development that meets the needs of the present without compromising future generations' needs可持续增长Governments should implement policies that foster sustainable growth for future generations.
competitive compensation/kəmˈpɛtɪtɪv kəmˌpɛnseɪʃ(ə)n/nounA salary or wage that is attractive and able to compete with other employers竞争性薪酬Highly talented professionals often seek competitive compensation and exceptional working conditions.

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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