TOEFL TPO -1 Academic Discussion Writing Sample: Your professor is teaching a class on social media. Write a post responding to the professor's question.
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2 user-submitted samples available
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Professor
Today, we're going to discuss the impact of social media on society. On one hand, social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have connected people from all over the world. However, there are concerns about the negative effects of social media, such as the spread of misinformation, the rise of cyberbullying, and addiction to social media use. What do you think? Does social media cause more harm than good?
Student Sarah
I think that social media has caused more harm than good. While it's true that social media platforms have connected people in unprecedented ways, they have also caused real harm to individuals and societies. Additionally, when people spend too much time on social media platforms, they could suffer from mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. This is probably because they allow people to anonymously bully and harass other users.
Student Mark
I think that social media has mostly improved society. For instance, it has given a voice to people that previously were ignored.Moreover, it has provided platforms for political activism that has led to positive change. And, of course, social media has made it easy for everyone to stay connected to family and friends who are far away. In the past we had to make expensive phone calls to contact our loved ones, now we can talk to them and send them pictures for free on social networks.
User Samples & Evaluation Results
User Sample
While I can see Sarah’s perspective that social media may bring about mental health problems, I agree with Mark’s view that social media has rendered great convenience to our society. As mentioned by Mark, with the help of social media, people outside mainstream could utter their voice, for example, the minority could get in touch with others and jointly speak out loud for themselves, however, in real world, the minority tend to reserve themselves to solitude. Apart from that, social media enable political activism to conduct political activities in a more transparent and accessible way, thus decrease the possibility of corruption, on the contrary, political activities conducted without cyber-oversight, such as polls and government donations, are more likely to be subject to manipulation. Besides through online-communication applications, getting in touch with others are much cheaper and efficient than ever before. Therefore, social media, undoubtedly, have positive impact on politic publication, minority well-being, communications as well as other fields in our society.
Evaluation Result
1. 子项得分
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Relevance and Contribution to Discussion: 5
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Clarity and Elaboration of Viewpoint: 4.5
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Language Use and Grammar: 4
2. 预估分数
27. 3 任务完成度
整体来说,这篇文章很好地回答了教授的问题,并对讨论做出了有益的贡献。然而,文章在阐述观点时可以更加详细和具体。例如,在谈到社交媒体对政治活动的影响时,可以提供更多具体的例子来支持观点。此外,在语言使用和语法方面,虽然没有明显错误,但表达可以更加地道。
改进建议:
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在论述观点时提供更多具体例子。
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在语言使用上尝试更地道的表达。
示例:
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在谈到社交媒体对政治活动的影响时,可以添加类似这样的例子:“例如,在2011年埃及革命中,社交媒体成为了组织抗议活动和传播信息的重要工具。”
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将“social media enable political activism to conduct political activities in a more transparent and accessible way”改为“social media allows for greater transparency and accessibility in political activism”。
4. 文章结构与组织
文章结构清晰,包括引言、正文和结论。每段都集中讨论了一个具体观点,并提供了支持细节。然而,在段落之间的过渡可以更加自然和流畅。
改进建议:
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在段落之间添加过渡性词语或短语,使文章更连贯。
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在正文部分使用主题句来明确每段的中心观点。
示例:
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在第二段和第三段之间添加过渡性词语,如:“除此之外,社交媒体还对政治活动产生了积极影响。”
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在谈到社交媒体对少数群体的影响时,可以使用主题句来引出观点,如:“首先,社交媒体为边缘群体提供了发声的平台。”
5. 语法批改
While I can see Sarah’s perspective that social media may bring about mental health problems, I agree with Mark’s view that social media has rendered great convenience to our society. As mentioned by Mark, with the help of social media, people outside mainstream could utter their voice, for example, the minority could get in touch with others and jointly speak out loud for themselves, however, in real world, the minority tend to reserve themselves to solitude. Apart from that, social media enable political activism to conduct political activities in a more transparent and accessible way, thus decrease the possibility of corruption, on the contrary, political activities conducted without cyber-oversight, such as polls and government donations, are more likely to be subject to manipulation. BesidesBesides,(This rule identifies whether commas are missing in a sentence.) through online-communication applications, getting in touch with others are much cheaper and efficient than ever before. Therefore, social media, undoubtedly, have positive impact on politic publication, minority well-being, communications as well as other fields in our society.
Display title: 6 文章修订
Although I understand Sarah's concerns regarding the potential mental health issues arising from social media use, I concur with Mark's assertion that social media has significantly benefited our society. As Mark pointed out, social media platforms have empowered marginalized individuals to express their opinions and connect with like-minded people, fostering a sense of community that might otherwise be unattainable in the physical world. Furthermore, social media has facilitated political activism by promoting transparency and accessibility, thereby reducing the likelihood of corruption. In contrast, traditional political activities lacking digital oversight, such as polling and campaign financing, are more susceptible to manipulation. Additionally, online communication tools have revolutionized how we interact with others by offering cost-effective and efficient means of staying connected. Consequently, the positive impact of social media on political discourse, minority well-being, communication methods, and various other aspects of society cannot be understated. (147 words)
While Although I can see Sarah’s perspective that understand Sarah's concerns (clarified the subject and used a more formal tone) regarding the potential mental health issues (more specific and clear) arising from social media may bring about mental health problems, use, I agree concur (more formal) with Mark’s view Mark's assertion that social media has rendered great convenience to significantly benefited our society. As mentioned Mark pointed out, social media platforms have empowered marginalized individuals (clearer and more inclusive term) to express their opinions and connect with like-minded people, fostering a sense of community that might otherwise be unattainable in the physical world (more concise and clear). Furthermore, social media has facilitated political activism by Mark, promoting transparency and accessibility, thereby reducing the likelihood of corruption. In contrast, traditional political activities lacking digital oversight (clearer phrasing), such as polling and campaign financing, are more susceptible to manipulation. Additionally, online communication tools have revolutionized how we interact with others by offering cost-effective and efficient means of staying connected (more concise). Consequently, the help positive impact of social media, people outside mainstream could utter their voice, for example, the minority could get in touch with others and jointly speak out loud for themselves, however, in real world, the minority tend to reserve themselves to solitude. Apart from that, social media enable on political activism to conduct political activities in a more transparent and accessible way, thus decrease the possibility of corruption, on the contrary, political activities conducted without cyber-oversight, such as polls and government donations, are more likely to be subject to manipulation. Besides through online-communication applications, getting in touch with others are much cheaper and efficient than ever before. Therefore, social media, undoubtedly, have positive impact on politic publication, discourse, minority well-being, communications as well as communication methods, and various other fields in our society.aspects of society cannot be understated (more formal tone).
8 思维导图
- Social Media Benefits
- Empowerment of marginalized individuals
- Expression of opinions
- Connection with like-minded people
- Fostering a sense of community
- Facilitation of political activism
- Promoting transparency and accessibility
- Reducing likelihood of corruption
- Revolutionizing communication methods
- Cost-effective and efficient means of staying connected
- Positive impact on various aspects of society
9 关键词
| Word | Phonetic Symbol | Part of Speech | English Definition | Simplified Chinese Translation | Sample Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Empowerment | /ɪmˈpaʊərmənt/ | Noun | The process of becoming stronger and more confident | 赋权 | Social media has led to the empowerment of marginalized individuals. |
| Marginalized | /ˈmɑːrdʒɪnəlaɪzd/ | Adjective | Treated as insignificant or peripheral | 边缘化的 | Marginalized groups can express their opinions on social media platforms. |
| Transparency | /trænˈspærənsi/ | Noun | The quality or state of being transparent | 透明度 | Social media promotes transparency in political activism. |
| Accessibility | /əkˌsesəˈbɪlɪti/ | Noun | The quality or state of being easily approached or understood |易接近性 |Social media facilitates accessibility in politics. | ||
| Corruption | /kəˈrʌpʃən/ | Noun | Dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power | 腐败 | Social media reduces the likelihood of corruption. |
| Revolutionize | /ˌrevəˈluːʃənaɪz/ | Verb | To change something radically or fundamentally | 彻底改变 | Online communication tools have revolutionized how we interact with others. |
| Cost-effective | /kɒst ɪˈfektɪv/ | Adjective | Providing good value for the amount of money spent | 性价比高的 | Social media offers cost-effective means of staying connected. |
| Discourse | /ˈdɪskɔːrs/ | Noun | Written or spoken communication or debate | 论述 | The positive impact of social media on political discourse cannot be understated. |
| Well-being | /ˈwelbiɪŋ/ | Noun | The state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy | 幸福感 | Social media has a positive impact on minority well-being. |
6 文章修订
尽管我理解Sarah对社交媒体使用可能引发的心理健康问题的担忧,但我同意Mark的观点,即社交媒体为我们的社会带来了显著的好处。正如Mark所指出的,社交媒体平台赋予了边缘化群体表达观点和与志同道合的人建立联系的能力,从而培养了一种在现实世界中可能无法实现的社区意识。此外,社交媒体通过促进透明度和易接近性,推动了政治活动,从而降低了腐败的可能性。相比之下,缺乏数字监督的传统政治活动(如投票和竞选筹款)更容易受到操纵。此外,在线通信工具彻底改变了我们与他人互动的方式,提供了性价比高且高效的联系方式。因此,在政治话语、少数群体幸福感、沟通方式以及社会其他各个方面,社交媒体的积极影响不容忽视。
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
Read the prompt carefully and identify all parts of the question before writing.
Reference the reading passage and the other students' opinions in your response.
Use specific examples to support your main point — avoid generic statements.
Aim for 120-150 words. Longer responses are not always better; clarity and focus matter more.
Practice timed responses (10 minutes) to build fluency under exam conditions.
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