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

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Task Overview

Professor

As we’ve previously discussed, sorting and recycling home waste can significantly help reduce pollution and preserve our environment. Though it has become a standard practice in some countries, many people believe that we haven’t done enough, and the only way to increase recycling is for governments to enforce strict policies on recycling. Say, if you don’t recycle your trash, you may get fined, or even break the law. What’s your perspective on this?

Mia

I do think strict policies or legal requirement is the only way to raise the recycling rate. Making laws work well in many fields, because people tend to avoid legal consequences or financial punishment. If there is no strict regulation, most people won’t take it seriously.

Joshua

Admittedly, government intervention is an important factor in this issue. However, it’s not necessarily the only means out there. I think that education can promote recycling in a more fundamental way because people would do it if they know they are doing the right thing.

User Samples & Evaluation Results

User Sample

I align with Mia's viewpoint that it is a wise decision for governments to publish regulations on home waste management for many reasons. Specifically, I would like to add that sourcing home waste, such as dealing with smell leftovers, does not bring people a sense of pleasing or fulfillments that people might proactively take actions on, but rather a burden that they are reclutant to do. Therefore, it is the place where the enforcement from governments comes to work. By combining such a move with fines, there is a great sense of accountability: people have no choice but do it as no one wants high expense out of he or her own wallet. Hence, I agree with Mia as I am of belief it is the governments that have the power to force the public in general.

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

总体来说,你的文章在完成任务方面做得很好。然而,有一些建议可以帮助你进一步改进。首先,在表达观点时,可以尝试提供更多具体的例子或数据来支持你的论点。其次,在讨论中加入对Joshua观点的讨论,以便使文章更加完整。

示例1:为了支持政府强制回收政策的观点,你可以提到某个国家实施类似政策后回收率显著提高的例子。 示例2:在讨论中提及Joshua的观点时,可以写:“虽然教育确实对提高回收意识有帮助,但我认为政府制定法规是更直接有效的方法。”

4. 文章结构与组织

文章结构方面基本合理,但仍有改进空间。建议将文章划分为引言、主体和结论三个部分,并在每个段落中专注于一个特定观点及其支持细节。同时,在段落之间使用清晰的过渡词或短语,使文章更加连贯。

示例1:在引言部分,可以写:“在这次讨论中,我同意Mia的观点,认为政府应该制定严格的回收政策来提高回收率。” 示例2:在主体部分过渡时,可以使用类似这样的过渡词:“此外,对于Joshua提到的教育方法,我认为它虽然有一定作用,但政府强制性政策更为有效。”

5. 语法批改

I align with Mia's viewpoint that it is a wise decision for governments to publish regulations on home waste management for many reasons. Specifically, I would like to add that sourcing home waste, such as dealing with smell leftovers, does not bring people a sense of pleasing or fulfillmentsfulfillment(misspelling) that people might proactively take actions on, but rather a burden that they are reclutantreluctant(misspelling) to do. Therefore, it is the place where the enforcement from governments comes to work. By combining such a move with fines, there is a great sense of accountability: people have no choice but doto do(This rule identifies whether the preposition 'to' is missing in a sentence.) itit,(This rule identifies whether commas are missing in a sentence.) as no one wants high expense out of he or her own wallet. Hence, I agree with Mia as I am of beliefthe belief(This rule identifies whether the article 'the' is missing in a sentence.) it is the governments that have the power to force the public in general.

Section Title: 6 Article Revision

I concur with Mia's perspective that implementing strict governmental regulations on household waste management is a prudent approach for various reasons. In particular, I would like to emphasize that sorting household waste, such as disposing of malodorous leftovers, does not provide individuals with a sense of satisfaction or fulfillment that would encourage proactive action. Instead, it is often perceived as an unwelcome burden. Consequently, this is where government enforcement plays a crucial role. By instituting fines and penalties, a heightened sense of accountability is established: individuals are compelled to comply as they seek to avoid incurring additional expenses. Thus, I agree with Mia's assertion that the power to effect widespread change lies primarily with the government. (121 words)

I concur with Mia's perspective (align with Mia's viewpoint that it is a wise decision for governments to - revised for clarity and formality) that implementing strict governmental regulations (publish regulations - revised for specificity) on household waste management (home waste management for many - revised for clarity) is a prudent approach (wise decision - revised for formality) for various reasons. Specifically, In particular, I would like to emphasize (add that - revised for clarity and emphasis) that sorting household waste (sourcing home waste, waste - revised for clarity), such as disposing of malodorous leftovers (dealing with smell leftovers, leftovers - revised for proper word choice and grammar), does not bring people provide individuals with a sense of satisfaction or fulfillment (pleasing or fulfillments that people might proactively take actions on, but rather - revised for proper word choice and grammar) that would encourage proactive action. Instead, it is often perceived as an unwelcome burden (a burden that they are reclutant to do. Therefore, it is do - revised for clarity and conciseness). Consequently, this is where government enforcement plays a crucial role (the place where the enforcement from governments comes to work. work - revised for clarity and conciseness). By instituting fines and penalties (combining such a move with fines, there is a great fines - revised for clarity), a heightened sense of accountability: accountability is established: individuals are compelled to comply as they seek to avoid incurring additional expenses (people have no choice but do it as no one wants high expense out of he or her own wallet. Hence, wallet - revised for clarity, conciseness, and grammar). Thus, I agree with Mia's assertion that the power to effect widespread change lies primarily with the government (I agree with Mia as I am of belief it is the governments that have the power to force the public in general.general - revised for clarity, conciseness, and grammar).

8 思维导图


1. Introduction
   - Mia's perspective
   - Government regulations on household waste management

2. Sorting household waste
   - Disposing of malodorous leftovers
   - Lack of satisfaction or fulfillment

3. Perception of waste management
   - Unwelcome burden

4. Government enforcement
   - Fines and penalties

5. Accountability and compliance
   - Avoiding additional expenses

6. Widespread change through government power

7. Conclusion 
   - Agreement with Mia's assertion 

9 关键词

WordPhonetic SymbolPart of SpeechEnglish definitionSimplified Chinese translationSample sentences
concur/kənˈkɜr/verbto agree同意I concur with Mia's perspective on household waste management.
malodorous/mælˈoʊdərəs/adjectivehaving an unpleasant smell恶臭的Disposing of malodorous leftovers is not a satisfying task.
unwelcome/ʌnˈwɛlkəm/adjectivenot wanted or invited不受欢迎的Waste management is often perceived as an unwelcome burden.
enforcement/ɪnˈfɔrsmənt/nounthe act of making people obey laws and rules执行Government enforcement plays a crucial role in waste management.
accountability/əˌkaʊntəˈbɪlɪti/nounthe fact of being responsible for your decisions or actions问责Fines and penalties establish a heightened sense of accountability.
compliance/kəmˈplaɪəns/nounthe act of obeying an order, rule, or request遵从Individuals are compelled to comply to avoid additional expenses.
widespread/ˈwaɪdˌsprɛd/adjectiveexisting or happening in many places or situations广泛的The power to effect widespread change lies with the government.
assertion/əˈsɜrʃən/nouna statement that you strongly believe is true断言I agree with Mia's assertion that government plays a crucial role in waste management.
household/ˈhaʊsˌhoʊld/adjectiverelating to a person's home and family家庭的Implementing strict governmental regulations on household waste management is a prudent approach.

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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