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TOEFL Academic Discussion Writing Sample: Your professor is teaching a class on marketing. 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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8 user-submitted samples available

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Task Overview

Professor

This week in class we are learning about different methods of advertising and their effectiveness. One advertising strategy that companies often use is to ask celebrities, famous entertainers, or sports figures to promote their products. However, some experts believe that it is more effective to have ordinary people talk about the product, Which of these two advertising strategies do you think is better?

Student A

I like the "ordinary people" approach. People are more interested in a product when they see people like themselves using the product. I think this is even true for clothing advertisements, which traditionally use famous models. People get a better idea of whether they like the clothes when they see all kinds of different people wearing them, and not just models.

Student B

I think the use of celebrities is really effective. The first thing an advertisement must do is grab viewers' attention. When a famous actor or sports figure appears in your advertisement, viewers first notice the celebrity, "what's this? I really like that person." they think. Then, once you have the viewers' attention, you can provide information about your product.

User Samples & Evaluation Results

User Sample

From my perspective, both celebrities and ordinary people have their own advantages, whereas I prefer to have ordinary people as promoters. In the marketplace, we observe that most of the well-known brands invite celebrities or entertainers as their promoters. Admittedly, it will attract more customers’ attention on the brands. Nevertheless, we are also victims of this advertising strategies, that is, these brands typically have a higher prices that common brand, and the prices contain high percentage of marketing fees given to celebrities for promotion. If the brand invite ordinary people to advertise their products, common customers will feel real about the using experiences of the products. For instance, my mother loves the Uniqlo clothes. One of the main reason is that this brand does not overemphasize the effect of using celebrities, instead, it invite common people as promoter to write about how the clothes is comfortable and help them create an ideal lifestyle. Therefore, I think the “ordinary people” strategy is more beneficial and practical to ordinary customers.

Evaluation Result

1. Sub Scores:

Relevance and Contribution to Discussion: 4.5 Clarity and Elaboration of Viewpoint: 4.0 Language Use and Grammar: 4.0

2. Estimated Scores:

Estimated Score: 27

3. Task completeness:

The essay addresses the specific requirements of the task quite well, as it expresses a clear opinion on the topic and provides support for that opinion. However, there is room for improvement in terms of elaborating on the viewpoint and providing more detailed examples or explanations.

Suggestions for improvement:

  • Expand on the reasons why ordinary people are more effective promoters by providing more specific examples or evidence.

  • Discuss potential drawbacks of using celebrities in advertising to further strengthen your argument.

Examples:

  1. "By using ordinary people, customers can relate to their experiences with the product, which may lead to increased trust in the brand."
  2. "Celebrities may sometimes endorse products they don't genuinely use or believe in, which could result in a loss of credibility if this information becomes public."

4. Essay structure and organization:

The essay has a clear structure with an introduction, body, and conclusion. However, there is room for improvement in terms of organizing ideas within paragraphs and using transitions between ideas.

Suggestions for improvement:

  • Use topic sentences at the beginning of each paragraph to introduce the main idea.

  • Include transitions between ideas to create a smoother flow within paragraphs.

Examples:

  1. Topic sentence example: "One reason why ordinary people are more effective promoters is that they can provide authentic testimonials about their experiences with the product."
  2. Transition example: "Furthermore, by featuring ordinary people in advertisements, brands can appeal to a wider range of customers who may not identify with celebrities."

5. Grammar

From my perspective, both celebrities and ordinary people have their own advantages, whereas I prefer to have ordinary people as promoters. In the marketplace, we observe that most of the well-known brands invite celebrities or entertainers as their promoters. Admittedly, it will attract more customers’ attention on the brands. Nevertheless, we are also victims of this advertising strategies, that is, these brands typically have a higher pricesa higher prex(Agreement: 'a' + plural word) thatthan(Detects potentially wrong usage of "that") common brand, and the prices contain high percentage of marketing fees given to celebrities for promotion. If the brand invite ordinary people to advertise their products, common customers will feel real about the using experiences of the products. For instance, my mother loves the Uniqlo clothes. One of the main reason is that this brand does not overemphasize the effect of using celebrities, instead, it inviteinvites('it' + non-3rd person verb) common people as promoter to write about how the clothes isare(Detects potentially wrong usage of "is") comfortable and help them create an ideal lifestyle. Therefore, I think the “ordinary people” strategy is more beneficial and practical to ordinary customers.

Display title: 6 Revised Essay

In my opinion, both celebrity endorsements and the use of ordinary people in advertising have their respective merits; however, I am inclined to favor the latter approach. It is true that many well-established brands rely on celebrities or entertainers to promote their products, which can undoubtedly draw attention and create buzz. However, this strategy often results in higher prices for consumers due to the substantial marketing fees paid to these high-profile endorsers. By contrast, featuring ordinary people in advertisements allows potential customers to relate more closely to the product and its users, providing a more authentic representation of the user experience. For example, my mother is an avid fan of Uniqlo clothing, primarily because the brand does not overly rely on celebrity endorsements. Instead, it enlists everyday individuals as promoters who share their genuine experiences with the clothing's comfort and how it contributes to their ideal lifestyle. Consequently, I believe that adopting an "ordinary people" strategy proves more advantageous and practical for the average consumer. (170 words)

From Revised essay: Display title: 7 Essay Grading

In my perspective, opinion, both celebrities and celebrity endorsements and the use of ordinary people in advertising have their own advantages, whereas respective merits; however, I prefer to have ordinary people as promoters. In the marketplace, we observe am inclined to favor the latter approach (revised for clarity and conciseness). It is true that most of the well-known many well-established brands invite rely on celebrities or entertainers as their promoters. Admittedly, it will attract more customers’ to promote their products, which can undoubtedly draw attention on the brands. Nevertheless, we are also victims of and create buzz (rephrased for smoother flow). However, this advertising strategies, that is, these brands typically have a strategy often results in higher prices that common brand, and the prices contain high percentage of for consumers due to the substantial marketing fees given to celebrities for promotion. If the brand invite paid to these high-profile endorsers (revised for clarity). By contrast, featuring ordinary people to advertise their products, common in advertisements allows potential customers will feel real about the using experiences to relate more closely to the product and its users, providing a more authentic representation of the products. user experience (rephrased for smoother flow). For instance, example, my mother loves the is an avid fan of Uniqlo clothes. One of the main reason is that this clothing, primarily because the brand does not overemphasize the effect of using celebrities, instead, overly rely on celebrity endorsements. Instead, it invite common people enlists everyday individuals as promoter to write about promoters who share their genuine experiences with the clothing's comfort and how the clothes is comfortable and help them create it contributes to their ideal lifestyle (revised for clarity and conciseness). Consequently, I believe that adopting an ideal lifestyle. Therefore, I think the “ordinary people” "ordinary people" strategy is proves more beneficial advantageous and practical to ordinary customers.for the average consumer (rephrased for smoother flow).

Display title: 8 Mind Map


- Celebrity Endorsements
    - Pros
        - Draw attention
        - Create buzz
    - Cons
        - Higher prices for consumers
        - Marketing fees for endorsers

- Ordinary People in Advertising
    - Pros
        - Relatable to potential customers
        - Authentic representation of user experience
    - Cons
        - Less attention-grabbing (compared to celebrities)

- Example: Uniqlo clothing
    - Everyday individuals as promoters
    - Genuine experiences shared with the public

Display title: 9 Key Words

WordPhonetic SymbolPart of SpeechEnglish DefinitionEnglish TranslationSample Sentence
endorsement/ɛnˈdɔrsmənt/nounan act of giving one's public approval or support to someone or somethingendorsementCelebrity endorsements can create buzz for a product.
substantial/səbˈstanʃəl/adjectiveof considerable importance, size, or worthsubstantialThe marketing fees paid to endorsers are often substantial.
authentic/ɔːˈθɛntɪk/adjectivegenuine; trueauthenticFeaturing ordinary people provides a more authentic representation of the user experience.
avid/ˈavɪd/adjectivehaving an eager desire for somethingavidMy mother is an avid fan of Uniqlo clothing.
enlists/ɪnˈlɪst/verbto engage (a person) for service in the armed forces; to secure (a person, services, etc.) for some causeenlistsUniqlo enlists everyday individuals as promoters.
genuine/ˈdʒɛnjʊɪn/adjectivetruly what something is said to be; authenticgenuineThey share their genuine experiences with the clothing's comfort.
ideal/aɪˈdiːəl/adjectivesatisfying one's conception of what is perfect; most suitableidealThe clothing contributes to their ideal lifestyle.
advantageous/ædvənˈteɪdʒəs/adjectiveinvolving or creating favorable circumstances that increase the chances of success or effectivenessadvantageousAdopting an "ordinary people" strategy proves more advantageous for the average consumer.
practical/ˈpræktɪkəl/adjectivelikely to succeed or be effective in real circumstances; feasiblepracticalThe "ordinary people" strategy is more practical for consumers.

Display title: 6 Revised Essay

In my opinion, both celebrity endorsements and the use of ordinary people in advertising have their respective merits; however, I am inclined to favor the latter approach. It is true that many well-established brands rely on celebrities or entertainers to promote their products, which can undoubtedly draw attention and create buzz. However, this strategy often results in higher prices for consumers due to the substantial marketing fees paid to these high-profile endorsers. By contrast, featuring ordinary people in advertisements allows potential customers to relate more closely to the product and its users, providing a more authentic representation of the user experience. For example, my mother is an avid fan of Uniqlo clothing, primarily because the brand does not overly rely on celebrity endorsements. Instead, it enlists everyday individuals as promoters who share their genuine experiences with the clothing's comfort and how it contributes to their ideal lifestyle. Consequently, I believe that adopting an "ordinary people" strategy proves more advantageous and practical for the average consumer.

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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