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

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Task Overview

Professor

Doctor Smith Today we’re going to discuss whether the government should tax unhealthy products, such as sugary drinks and junk food. On one hand, taxing these products could discourage people from consuming them and reduce health problems. On the other hand, some argue that such taxes unfairly target lower-income families who may rely on these products as affordable sources of food. If you had to choose, would you support or oppose taxing unhealthy products? Why?

Student A

Amy I support the idea of taxing unhealthy products. These products are often high in sugar, salt, and fat, which can lead to serious health problems such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. As you said, by taxing these products, the government can discourage people from consuming them and resolve some of these health issues. Moreover, the revenue generated from such taxes can be used to fund advertising campaigns that promote healthy eating habits.

Student B

Rory I disagree. I believe that such taxes are unfair to families that don’t have a lot of money. Wealthy people will not care about the taxes and their habits won’t change. Additionally, if these taxes are implemented people might try to save money by purchasing lower-quality products that are cheaper in the first place. That means they could suffer even more health problems.

User Samples & Evaluation Results

User Sample

I oppose taxing unhealthy food taxes, and I strongly agree with Rory’s viewpoint that these taxes impose heavy burden on the underprivileged people due to the possibly increasing living cost. In addition, in my view, in order to promote the public health, the most effective way is to raise the health awareness of citizens. To be more specific, the government should post more public service advertisements which promote the significance of healthy diet on TV, social media and their websites. What’s more, it is the government’s duty to encourage the food suppliers to offer more fresh and healthy food and make their price lower, which can be achieved by giving them policy support and attractive bonus. A pertinent case in this point is that in Singapore, there is a “healthy food” policy which means the government gives the organic fruit suppliers a bonus of 5,000 Singapore dollars each month, resulting in a lower price in organic fruit. Therefore, more customers are willing to buy them and the customers get a healthy diet at the same time.

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

26. 3 任务完成度

整体来说,你的文章回答了教授的问题,并表达了自己的观点。然而,为了更好地完成任务,你可以在论述中加入更多具体的例子和细节。此外,在提出解决方案时,可以考虑讨论其可行性和潜在影响。

示例1:你可以在反对征税的观点中加入一些具体数据或研究结果,以支持这一观点。 示例2:在提到新加坡政府鼓励有机水果供应商的政策时,可以进一步讨论这种政策如何改善公共健康状况。

4. 文章结构与组织

文章结构清晰,包括引言、正文和结论。每段落都集中讨论了一个特定观点及其支持细节。但是,在段落之间增加过渡句子会使文章更连贯。

建议1:在不同观点之间使用过渡词或短语(例如,“然而”、“此外”等),以使文章阅读起来更流畅。 建议2:在文章结尾处加入一个总结性的段落,概括你的观点和论证。

示例1:在讨论新加坡政府鼓励有机水果供应商的政策之后,可以使用过渡词“因此”来引出结论:“因此,更多的顾客愿意购买这些产品,同时也能获得健康的饮食。” 示例2:在文章结尾处加入一个总结性段落:“综上所述,我认为通过提高公民的健康意识和鼓励食品供应商提供更多健康食品是解决公共健康问题的最有效方法。征收不健康食品税可能会给低收入家庭带来负担,而不一定能改善他们的饮食习惯。”

5. 语法批改

I oppose taxing unhealthy food taxes, and I strongly agree with Rory’s viewpoint that these taxes impose heavy burden on the underprivileged people due to the possibly increasing living cost. In addition, in my view, in order to promote the public health, the most effective way is to raise the health awareness of citizens. To be more specific, the government should post more public service advertisements which promote the significance of healthy diet on TV, social media and their websites. What’s more, it is the (Two consecutive spaces)government’s duty to encourage the food suppliers to offer more fresh and healthy food and make their price lower, which can be achieved by giving them policy support and attractive bonus. A pertinent case in this point is that in Singapore, there is a “healthy food” policy which means the government gives the organic fruit suppliers a bonus of 5,000 Singapore dollars each month, resulting in a lower price in organic fruit. Therefore, more customers are willing to buy them and the customers get a healthy diet at the same time.

Display title: 6 文章修订

While I understand the potential benefits of taxing unhealthy products, I must side with Rory in opposing such measures. Imposing taxes on these items disproportionately affects lower-income families, who may rely on affordable food options, even if they are less healthy. Instead of taxation, I believe that raising public health awareness and encouraging healthier food choices would be more effective in promoting overall well-being. The government could invest in public service campaigns that emphasize the importance of a balanced diet and work with food suppliers to increase the availability of fresh, nutritious options at affordable prices. For instance, Singapore's "healthy food" policy provides financial incentives to organic fruit suppliers, resulting in lower prices for consumers and increased consumption of healthier foods. By focusing on education and accessibility rather than punitive measures, we can foster a more equitable approach to improving public health. (146 words)

While I oppose understand the potential benefits of taxing unhealthy products (clarified the stance), I must side with Rory in opposing such measures (connected to Rory's viewpoint). Imposing taxes on these items disproportionately affects lower-income families (rephrased for clarity), who may rely on affordable food taxes, and options, even if they are less healthy. Instead of taxation, I strongly agree with Rory’s viewpoint believe that these taxes impose heavy burden on the underprivileged people due to the possibly increasing living cost. In addition, in my view, in order to promote the raising public health, the most effective way is to raise the health awareness of citizens. To and encouraging healthier food choices would be more specific, the effective in promoting overall well-being (rephrased for better flow). The government should post more could invest in public service advertisements which promote campaigns that emphasize the significance importance of healthy a balanced diet on TV, social media (simplified language) and their websites. What’s more, it is the government’s duty to encourage the work with food suppliers to offer more fresh and healthy food and make their price lower, which can be achieved by giving them increase the availability of fresh, nutritious options at affordable prices. For instance, Singapore's "healthy food" policy support and attractive bonus. A pertinent case in this point is that in Singapore, there is a “healthy food” policy which means the government gives the provides financial incentives to organic fruit suppliers a bonus of 5,000 Singapore dollars each month, (clarified policy details), resulting in lower prices for consumers and increased consumption of healthier foods. By focusing on education and accessibility rather than punitive measures, we can foster a lower price in organic fruit. Therefore, more customers are willing equitable approach to buy them and the customers get a healthy diet at the same time.improving public health (summarized main point).

Display title: 8 思维导图


1. Introduction
   - Taxing unhealthy products
   - Opposing view: Rory's argument

2. Disproportionate effects on lower-income families
   - Reliance on affordable food options
   - Unhealthy options often cheaper

3. Alternative solutions
   a. Raising public health awareness
       i. Importance of balanced diet
      ii. Encouraging healthier choices
   b. Government investment in public service campaigns
       i. Collaboration with food suppliers
      ii. Increase availability of fresh, nutritious options at affordable prices 

4. Example: Singapore's healthy food policy
   - Financial incentives for organic fruit suppliers 
   - Lower prices for consumers, increased consumption of healthier foods 

5. Conclusion 
   - Focus on education and accessibility 
   - Equitable approach to improving public health 

Display title: 9 关键词

WordPhonetic SymbolPart of SpeechEnglish definitionSimplified Chinese translationSample sentences
disproportionately/dɪsˌproʊ.pɔrʃəˈnæt.li/adverbTo an extent that is too large or too small in comparison不成比例地The tax affects lower-income families disproportionately, making it harder for them to afford healthy food options.
punitive/ˈpjuː.nə.tɪv/adjectiveIntended as punishment惩罚性的The government should focus on education rather than punitive measures to improve public health.
well-being/wɛlˈbiɪŋ/nounThe state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy健康幸福Encouraging healthier food choices would be more effective in promoting overall well-being.
accessibility/əkˌsɛsəˈbɪlɪti/nounThe quality of being easy to obtain or use可达性、可接近性By focusing on education and accessibility, we can foster a more equitable approach to improving public health.
nutritious/njuːˈtrɪʃəs/adjectiveContaining substances that a person or animal needs to stay healthy and grow properly有营养的The government should work with food suppliers to increase the availability of fresh, nutritious options at affordable prices.
organic/ɔrˈgænɪk/adjectiveNot using artificial chemicals in the growing of plants and animals for food and other products有机的Singapore's healthy food policy provides financial incentives to organic fruit suppliers.
consumption/kənˈsʌm.pʃən/nounThe act of using resources or the amount used消费Lower prices for consumers lead to increased consumption of healthier foods.
equitable/ˈek.wə.tə.bəl/adjectiveFair and impartial公平的We need an equitable approach to improving public health that doesn't disproportionately affect lower-income families.
public service campaign/ˈpʌb.lɪk ˈsɝ:v.ɪs kæm.peɪn/nounA planned series of activities or events intended to achieve a particular social aim公益活动The government could invest in public service campaigns that emphasize the importance of a balanced diet.

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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