All Samples

TOEFL Academic Discussion Writing Sample: Your professor is teaching a class on political science. Write a post responding to the professor’s question.If you were a policy maker, which issue would you argue is more important—education or environmental protections? Why?

Real user submissions with AI-powered evaluation and feedback

1 user-submitted samples available

Start Free Practice

Task Overview

Professor

As I mentioned in class, governments make public policies to describe their responses to various problems that affect a community. Part of this process involves setting and defending priorities about which issues deserve the most attention and resources. For example, governments need to decide whether they should spend more money on education or on environmental protections. If you were a policy maker, which issue would you argue is more important—education or environmental protections? Why?

Student A

We all live on planet Earth, and it is the only planet we have. Therefore, we must take care of it. Clearly, protecting the environment should be the government’s priority over education. I think the REAL question is, which approach to protecting the environment—restricting pollution, regulating population, promoting clean energy, or something else—should be the government’s priority.

Student B

I disagree with Kelly that that the environment is more important than education. Education is actually the best way to protect the environment. Educated people can see how their decisions affect the world around them. Also, with better science and technology education, we can develop solutions to environmental problems. Therefore, I think the government should spend more money on education.

User Samples & Evaluation Results

User Sample

I believed that education is much more important than environmantal protections. To be specific, education can solve numerous problems. For instance, poverty, housing shortage, unemployment are serious problems nowadays. These issues can cause huge problems for the whole country. However, those prolems can be solved by raise the average eduaction level. If more people are well-educated, finding jobs would no longer become a problem to them. The companies in the state would take progress in a respectable rate. This benefits the whole country and the country would become better. Despite this, low education level would increase crime rate. For those people who dropped out of school in their young age, they do not know what is wrong or right. They lack the idea of the law. For instance, if a boy robbed a small shops for food or drink and no one call the police nor tell him this is false, he would do the same thing in the next time. However, if people are well-educated, the safety would increase in the state.

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

你的文章在回答问题方面做得不错,但还有一些地方需要改进。首先,你需要更具体地说明为什么教育比环保更重要。其次,尽量避免使用过于简单的句子和表达。最后,在论证观点时,可以加入更多相关的例子和细节。

示例1(改进前):If more people are well-educated, finding jobs would no longer become a problem to them. 示例1(改进后):If more people are well-educated, they will have better job opportunities, which in turn can help reduce unemployment rates and improve the overall economy.

示例2(改进前):For those people who dropped out of school in their young age, they do not know what is wrong or right. 示例2(改进后):For individuals who drop out of school at a young age, they may lack the moral guidance and understanding of societal norms that education provides, potentially leading to an increase in crime rates.

4. 文章结构与组织

文章的结构和组织方面需要加强。首先,文章缺少一个明确的引言部分来介绍主题和论点。其次,正文段落之间缺乏清晰的过渡,这会影响文章的连贯性。最后,文章需要一个总结性的结论部分来强调观点。

示例1(改进前):I believed that education is much more important than environmantal protections. 示例1(改进后):In this essay, I will argue that education is more important than environmental protections because it can address a variety of social issues and contribute to the overall well-being of a country.

示例2(改进前):Despite this, low education level would increase crime rate. 示例2(改进后):In conclusion, prioritizing education over environmental protections can lead to numerous benefits, such as reducing poverty, improving job opportunities, and decreasing crime rates.

5. 语法批改

I believedbelieve that education is much more important than environmantalenvironmental protections. To be specific, education can solve numerous problems. For instance, poverty, housing shortage,shortages, and unemployment are serious problemsissues nowadays. These issues can cause hugesignificant problems for the whole country. However, those prolemsthese problems can be solved by raiseraising the average eduactioneducation level. If more people are well-educated, finding jobs wouldwill no longer becomebe a problem tofor them. The companies in the state wouldwill take progress in a respectable rate. This benefits the whole countrycountry, and the country would become better. Despite this, low education level would increase crime rate. For those people who dropped out of school in their young age,youth, they do not know what is wrong or right. They lack the ideaconcept of the law. For instance, if a boy robbed a small shopsshop for food or drink and no one callcalled the police nor telltold him this is false, he would do the same thing in the next time. However, if people are well-educated, the safety would increase in the state.

Section Title: Education vs. Environmental Protections

In my opinion, education holds greater importance than environmental protections. Specifically, education can address a multitude of issues, such as poverty, housing shortages, and unemployment, which currently pose significant challenges for many countries. By raising the average education level, these problems can be mitigated as more people become well-educated and employable. Consequently, businesses within the nation would experience steady growth, benefiting the entire country.

Moreover, a higher education level can contribute to a decrease in crime rates. Individuals who leave school at an early age may lack an understanding of right and wrong or have limited knowledge of the law. For example, if a young person steals from a store without facing consequences or being informed that their actions are wrong, they may continue this behavior in the future. In contrast, well-educated individuals are more likely to contribute positively to society and uphold safety standards within their communities.

While environmental protections are undoubtedly important for our planet's future, investing in education equips individuals with the necessary tools to address not only environmental concerns but also various other societal issues. As such, prioritizing education ultimately leads to more comprehensive solutions and improvements across all aspects of life. (202 words)

I Revised essay: Section Title: Education vs. Environmental Protections

In my opinion, education holds greater importance than environmental protections (Changed "I believed that education is much more important than environmantal protections. To be specific, protections" to "In my opinion, education holds greater importance than environmental protections" for a more natural tone and corrected spelling). Specifically, education can solve address a multitude of issues (Changed "solve numerous problems. For instance, problems" to "address a multitude of issues" for better word choice), such as poverty, housing shortage, unemployment are serious shortages, and unemployment, which currently pose significant challenges for many countries. By raising the average education level (Changed "raise the average eduaction level" to "raising the average education level" for proper grammar and spelling), these problems nowadays. These issues can cause huge problems for the whole country. However, those prolems can be solved by raise the average eduaction level. If mitigated as more people are well-educated, finding jobs become well-educated and employable. Consequently, businesses within the nation would no longer become a problem to them. The companies in the state would take experience steady growth (Changed "take progress in a respectable rate. This benefits the whole country and the country would become better. Despite this, low rate" to "experience steady growth" for better word choice), benefiting the entire country.

Moreover, a higher education level can contribute to a decrease in crime rates (Changed "low education level would increase crime rate. For those people rate" to "a higher education level can contribute to a decrease in crime rates" for better phrasing). Individuals who dropped out of leave school in their young age, they do not know what is at an early age may lack an understanding of right and wrong or right. They lack the idea have limited knowledge of the law. For instance, example, if a young person steals from a store without facing consequences or being informed that their actions are wrong (Changed "if a boy robbed a small shops for food or drink and no one call the police nor tell him this is false, he would do the same thing in the next time. However, if people false" to make it clearer and fix grammar issues), they may continue this behavior in the future. In contrast, well-educated individuals are well-educated, the more likely to contribute positively to society and uphold safety would increase in the state.standards within their communities.

While environmental protections are undoubtedly important for our planet's future, investing in education equips individuals with the necessary tools to address not only environmental concerns but also various other societal issues. As such, prioritizing education ultimately leads to more comprehensive solutions and improvements across all aspects of life.

Display title: 8 思维导图


1. Education vs. Environmental Protections
   ├── 1.1 Importance of Education
   │    ├── 1.1.1 Addressing Issues (poverty, housing, unemployment)
   │    ├── 1.1.2 Raising Average Education Level
   │    └── 1.1.3 Business Growth and National Benefits
   ├── 1.2 Decrease in Crime Rates
   │    ├── 1.2.1 Early School Leavers and Limited Knowledge
   │    └── 1.2.2 Well-Educated Individuals and Positive Contributions
   └── 1.3 Prioritizing Education for Comprehensive Solutions
        ├── 1.3.1 Addressing Environmental Concerns and Societal Issues
        └── 1.3.2 Improvements Across All Aspects of Life

Display title: 9 关键词

WordPhonetic SymbolPart of SpeechEnglish DefinitionSimplified Chinese TranslationSample Sentence
multitude/ˈmʌltɪtjuːd/nouna large number大量Education can address a multitude of issues such as poverty, housing shortages, and unemployment.
mitigate/ˈmɪtɪɡeɪt/verbmake less severe, serious, or painful减轻By raising the average education level, these problems can be mitigated.
employable/ɪmˈplɔɪəbl/adjectivehaving the skills or qualities necessary for a job可雇佣的More people become well-educated and employable.
consequences/kənˈsiːkwənsɪz/nounresults or effects of an action or condition后果If a young person steals from a store without facing consequences, they may continue this behavior in the future.
comprehensive/ˌkɒmprɪˈhensɪv/adjectiveincluding all or nearly all elements or aspects全面的Prioritizing education ultimately leads to more comprehensive solutions and improvements across all aspects of life.
prioritize/praɪˈɒrətaɪz/verbdesignate something as more important than others优先考虑As such, prioritizing education is crucial.
societal/səˈsaɪətl/adjectiverelating to society社会的Investing in education equips individuals with the necessary tools to address various societal issues.
uphold/ʌpˈhəʊld/verb_maintain (a custom, principle, or law)_维护,坚持_Well-educated individuals are more likely to uphold safety standards within their communities.
environmental/ɪnvaɪrənˈmentl/_adjective_relating to the natural world and its preservation_环境的_While environmental protections are important, investing in education can also address environmental concerns.

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