All Samples

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

Real user submissions with AI-powered evaluation and feedback

5 user-submitted samples available

Start Free Practice

Task Overview

Professor

This week we covered different parenting styles. One idea we discussed was how much independence and freedom we should give our children, especially young children. One related issue is whether there should be an age limit on when children can have mobile phones. In this discussion post, I would like you to discuss whether you agree or disagree with the idea of setting a minimum age for when children can have a mobile phone. Explain your opinion

Andrew

I totally agree with the idea of not giving children phones before they reach a certain age, let's say ten years or so. I believe children younger than ten are not yet ready to deal with the world that comes with mobile phones, as it can put them in harm's ways

Clarie

Honestly, I am against the idea of restricting mobile phone access for young children. I believe mobile phones can help children communicate with their parents if they need their help for an urgent matter when they are away from their parents at school or elsewhere. Maybe companies can invent a special kind of mobile phone that is somehow kid friendly.

User Samples & Evaluation Results

User Sample

I firmly believe that the point mentioned by Andrew, that setting an age limit for the usage of mobile phone do necessary. Since it can prevent kids from suffering psychological problems. To be more specific, there are numerous undesirable information listed on the internet, since the internet is the platform where individuals’ behavior been less restricted. Phone-users can upload unsuitable information, ranging from violent content video to pornography, to place where can be seen by children. In addition, children are in an important stage of psychological, exposing this undesirable information at an early stage might foster an unproper thinking which contradict to the social norm. Indeed, China have successful eliminate such problem by requiring all internet-user to fill their age information while utilizing internet, It do exert an outstanding result on preventing kids from trash information. Indeed, there is an urgent need for young children to contact with their parents. However, it is also important for them to cultivate a sense of taking care of themselves. Equipping this ability at an early stage of life is quite beneficial.

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

  • 27

3. 任务完成度

整体来说,你的文章回答了问题并提供了有力的论据。但是,你可以更加深入地讨论一些观点,例如关于限制手机使用年龄的具体建议。此外,尝试在文章中引用其他人的观点以增强讨论。

改进示例1:

  • 在讨论限制手机使用年龄时,可以考虑提到一些研究或数据来支持你的观点。

改进示例2:

  • 可以引用Clarie的观点,并针对其进行反驳或补充说明,以展示你对话题的全面理解。

4. 文章结构与组织

文章结构方面还有待加强。虽然有简介、正文和结论,但是段落之间缺乏明确的过渡。同时,正文部分可以进一步细化和拓展。建议将不同观点和论据分开成不同段落,并在段落之间添加过渡词或短语。

改进示例1:

  • 在第二段末尾添加过渡词:“然而,在考虑到这些问题时,我们还需要关注孩子们的自理能力。”

改进示例2:

  • 将正文拆分成两个段落,一个专门讨论网络上不良信息的影响,另一个讨论培养孩子自理能力的重要性。这样可以使文章结构更加清晰。

5. 语法批改

I firmly believe that the point mentioned by Andrew, that setting an age limit for the usage of mobile phonephone,(This rule identifies whether commas are missing in a sentence.) do necessary. Since it can prevent kids from suffering psychological problems.

To be more specific, there are numerous undesirable information listed on the internet, since the internet is the platform where individuals’ behavior been less restricted. Phone-users can upload unsuitable information, ranging from violent content video to pornography, to place wherewhere it(missing pronoun after 'where/when/how/why') canit can(This rule identifies whether the preposition 'it' is missing in a sentence.) be seen by children. In addition, children are in an important stage of psychological, exposing this undesirable information at an early stage might foster an unproperproper(misspelling) thinking which contradict to the social norm. Indeed, China have successful eliminate such problem by requiring all internet-user to fill their age information while utilizing internet, It dodoes('it' + non-3rd person verb) exert an outstanding result on preventing kids from trash information.

IndeedAbsolutely(Successive sentences beginning with the same word), there is an urgent need for young children to contact with their parents. However, it is also important for them to cultivate a sense of taking care of themselves. Equipping this ability at an early stage of life is quite beneficial.

Title: 6 文章修订

I wholeheartedly concur with Andrew's assertion that implementing an age restriction for mobile phone usage is essential to protect children from potential psychological harm.

Specifically, the internet serves as a platform where individuals' behavior is less regulated, leading to the proliferation of inappropriate content. This may include violent videos or explicit material, which can be easily accessed by children through their mobile devices. At such a critical stage in their psychological development, exposure to such unsuitable information may foster improper thinking that contradicts societal norms. China has successfully addressed this issue by requiring all internet users to provide their age information while accessing the web, effectively shielding children from harmful content.

While it is true that young children may need to contact their parents in urgent situations, it is equally important for them to develop self-reliance and problem-solving skills. Fostering these abilities at an early stage of life can prove immensely beneficial in the long run. (159 words)

I firmly believe wholeheartedly concur (revised for a more natural tone) with Andrew's assertion that the point mentioned by Andrew, that setting implementing an age limit for the usage of restriction (clarified the meaning) for mobile phone do necessary. Since it can prevent kids usage is essential (rephrased for clarity) to protect children from suffering potential psychological problems. harm.

To be more specific, there are numerous undesirable information listed on the internet, since Specifically, the internet is the serves as a platform where individuals’ individuals' behavior been is less restricted. Phone-users can upload unsuitable information, ranging from regulated (rephrased for clarity), leading to the proliferation of inappropriate content. This may include violent content video to pornography, to place where videos or explicit material, which can be seen easily accessed by children. In addition, children are children through their mobile devices. At such a critical stage in an important stage of psychological, exposing their psychological development (rephrased for clarity), exposure to such unsuitable information may foster improper thinking that contradicts societal norms. China has successfully addressed this undesirable information at an early stage might foster an unproper thinking which contradict to the social norm. Indeed, China have successful eliminate such problem issue by requiring all internet-user to fill internet users to provide their age information while utilizing internet, It do exert an outstanding result on preventing kids accessing the web (rephrased for clarity), effectively shielding children from trash information. harmful content.

Indeed, there is an While it is true that young children may need to contact their parents in urgent need for young children to contact with their parents. However, situations, it is also equally important for them to cultivate a sense of taking care of themselves. Equipping this ability develop self-reliance and problem-solving skills (rephrased for clarity). Fostering these abilities at an early stage of life is quite beneficial.can prove immensely beneficial in the long run (revised for a more natural tone).

8 思维导图


1. Introduction
   - Agree with Andrew's assertion
   - Age restriction for mobile phone usage
   - Protect children from psychological harm

2. Internet and inappropriate content
   - Less regulated behavior online
   - Proliferation of unsuitable material
   - Easy access through mobile devices

3. Psychological development of children
   - Critical stage in life
   - Exposure to harmful content may foster improper thinking

4. China's successful approach
   - Age information requirement for internet access
   - Shielding children from harmful content

5. Importance of self-reliance and problem-solving skills
   - Young children contacting parents in urgent situations
   - Developing independence and resilience

6. Conclusion 
   - Implementing age restriction is essential 

9 关键词

WordPhonetic SymbolPart of SpeechEnglish definitionSimplified Chinese translationSample sentences
wholeheartedly/ˌhoʊlˈhɑrtɪdli/adverbwith complete sincerity and commitment全心全意地I wholeheartedly concur with Andrew's assertion about age restrictions.
proliferation/prəˌlɪfəˈreɪʃn/nounrapid increase in numbers激增The internet has led to the proliferation of inappropriate content.
psychological/ˌsaɪkəˈlɒdʒɪkəl/adjectiverelating to the human mind or mental processes心理的Children are at a critical stage in their psychological development.
exposure/ɪkˈspoʊʒər/nounthe state of being exposed to something harmful暴露Exposure to unsuitable information may foster improper thinking.
societal norms/səˈsaɪətəl nɔrmz/nounrules and expectations that guide behavior in society社会规范Exposure to harmful content may contradict societal norms.
self-reliance/ˌsɛlf rɪˈlaɪəns/nounreliance on one's own powers and resources自力更生Children should develop self-reliance and problem-solving skills.
immensely/ɪˈmɛnsli/adverbto a great extent or degree极大地Fostering these abilities at an early stage can prove immensely beneficial.
shielding/ʃiːld/verb-protecting (someone or something) from a danger, risk, or unpleasant experience.保护-China has successfully addressed this issue by shielding children from harmful content.
resilience/rɪˈzɪl.jəns/-noun-the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.韧性-Developing independence and resilience is important for children's growth.

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