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

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7 user-submitted samples available

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Task Overview

Professor

n many countries, the standard workweek consists of eight hours ofwork each day for five days per week. Now, though, some people advocate a shorter workweek:a four-day workweek with no decrease in workers' pay. There are advantages and disadvantages to this, of course. What is your opinion about instituting a shorter, four-day workweek, and why?

Andrew

I like that idea, but on one condition that the workday is no longer than eight hours. I have heard some plans require ten hours a day week. Most employees would find that exhausting, and it could actually be counterproductive to tire out workers. "Yes" to four-day weeks, but "No" to ten-hour days!

Claire

n my country, the workweek is Monday to Friday plus half a day on Saturday, so moving to a four-day workweek would be too drastic a change! Workers might struggle to complete their tasks in a four-day workweek. It seems less stressful to spread work out over more days rather than trying to condense it all into a shorter week.

User Samples & Evaluation Results

User Sample

Claire presents a compelling argument in favor of spread work out over more days. Admittedly, spread the works ou in more days provide more hours each day to finish the work in slow pace. However, considering of the joy of the weekend, I am inclined to prioritize the four-day workweek. In my view, four-day workweek presents more flexible enjoying plans for us . If we are working under the four-day workweek, then we can have a three-day weekend time. My older brother is just work in a four-day workweek company, last month ,he invited to join his two days and a half trip to New York, I could only joined them at Saturday soon, so I thought my brother and his families got a more enjoyable weekend time.Therefore, I firmly believe giving the priority to the four-day workweek will let us experience a happier weekend 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: 3.5

2. 预估分数

26. 3 任务完成度

整体来说,你的文章回答了问题并表达了个人观点。但是,有一些地方可以改进。首先,在支持你的观点时,可以提供更多具体的例子和细节。其次,注意使用正确的语法和词汇。

改进示例:

  1. 在支持四天工作周的观点时,可以提到研究表明员工在四天工作制下的生产力更高。

  2. 改正语法错误,例如:“Admittedly, spread the works ou in more days provide more hours each day to finish the work in slow pace.” 应该改为 "Admittedly, spreading work out over more days provides more hours each day to finish the work at a slower pace."

4. 文章结构与组织

文章结构方面,你已经有了简介、主体和结论。但是,在段落之间加入过渡句会使文章更连贯。此外,请确保每个段落都集中讨论一个特定的观点,并提供相应的支持细节。

改进示例:

  1. 在第二段和第三段之间加入过渡句:“虽然Claire提出了将工作分散到更多天的观点,但我认为四天工作周有更多优势。”

  2. 在主体段落中,确保每个段落都有一个明确的主题句,例如:“在我看来,四天工作周为我们提供了更灵活的休闲计划。”

5. 语法批改

Claire presents a compelling argument in favor of spread work out over more days. Admittedly, spread the works ouwork sou(misspelling) in more days provide more hours each day to finish the work in slow pace. However, considering of the joy of the weekend, I am inclined to prioritize the four-day workweek. In my view, foura four(This rule identifies whether the article 'a' is missing in a sentence.)-day workweek presents more flexible enjoying plans for us ..(Use of whitespace before comma and before/after parentheses) If we are working under the four-day workweek, then we can have a three-day weekend time. My older brother is just work in a four-day workweek company, last month ,, (Use of whitespace before comma and before/after parentheses)he invited to join his two days and a half trip to New York, I could only joinedjoin(Non-infinitive verb after modal verbs) them at Saturdayon Saturday(in (on) Monday) soon, so I thought my brother and his families got a more enjoyable weekend time.Therefore Therefore(Missing space between sentences), I firmly believe giving the priority to the four-day workweek will let us experience a happier weekend time ..(Use of whitespace before comma and before/after parentheses)

Title: 6 文章修订

Claire's argument for spreading work out over more days is indeed persuasive, as it allows for a more relaxed pace to complete tasks. However, I believe that the benefits of a four-day workweek outweigh the potential drawbacks. In my opinion, a four-day workweek offers greater flexibility and enhances our leisure time. With a three-day weekend, individuals can pursue personal interests and spend quality time with family and friends. For instance, my older brother works in a company that follows a four-day workweek schedule. Last month, he invited me to join his two-and-a-half-day trip to New York. Unfortunately, I could only participate on Saturday due to my traditional work schedule. This experience demonstrated to me that a four-day workweek allows for more fulfilling and enjoyable weekends. Consequently, I am convinced that prioritizing the implementation of a four-day workweek would lead to increased happiness and overall well-being. (148 words)

Claire presents Revised essay: Title: 7 文章批改

Claire's argument for spreading work out over more days (Changed "presents a compelling argument in favor of spread work out over more days. Admittedly, spread the works ou in more days provide more hours each day to finish days" to "Claire's argument for spreading work out over more days" for clarity and conciseness) is indeed persuasive, as it allows for a more relaxed pace to complete tasks (Changed "finish the work in slow pace. pace" to "complete tasks at a more relaxed pace" for better word choice and clarity). However, considering I believe that the benefits of the joy of the weekend, I am inclined to prioritize the four-day workweek. a four-day workweek outweigh the potential drawbacks. In my view, four-day workweek presents more flexible enjoying plans for us . If we are working under the four-day workweek, then we opinion, a four-day workweek offers greater flexibility and enhances our leisure time (Changed "enjoying plans" to "leisure time" for better word choice). With a three-day weekend, individuals can have a three-day weekend time. My pursue personal interests and spend quality time with family and friends. For instance, my older brother is works in a company that follows a four-day workweek schedule (Changed "is just work in a four-day workweek company, last month ,he company" to "works in a company that follows a four-day workweek schedule" for better grammar and clarity). Last month, he invited me to join his two days and a half two-and-a-half-day trip to New York, York. Unfortunately, I could only participate on Saturday due to my traditional work schedule (Changed "I could only joined them at Saturday soon, so I thought soon" to "I could only participate on Saturday due to my traditional work schedule" for better grammar and clarity). This experience demonstrated to me that a four-day workweek allows for more fulfilling and enjoyable weekends (Changed "my brother and his families got a more enjoyable weekend time.Therefore, time" to "a four-day workweek allows for more fulfilling and enjoyable weekends" for better word choice and clarity). Consequently, I firmly believe giving am convinced that prioritizing the implementation of a four-day workweek would lead to increased happiness and overall well-being (Changed "giving the priority to the four-day workweek will let us experience a happier weekend time time" to "prioritizing the implementation of a four-day workweek would lead to increased happiness and overall well-being" for better word choice and clarity).

8 思维导图


- Four-day workweek
  - Benefits
    - Greater flexibility
    - Enhanced leisure time
  - Three-day weekend
    - Pursue personal interests
    - Spend quality time with family and friends
  - Example: Older brother's trip to New York
    - Unable to participate fully due to traditional work schedule
  - Conclusion: Increased happiness and overall well-being with a four-day workweek implementation

9 关键词

WordPhonetic SymbolPart of SpeechEnglish DefinitionSimplified Chinese TranslationSample Sentence
persuasive/pərˈsweɪsɪv/adjectiveconvincing; able to persuade有说服力的Claire's argument for spreading work out over more days is indeed persuasive.
drawbacks/ˈdrɔːbæk/noundisadvantages or problems缺点The benefits of a four-day workweek outweigh the potential drawbacks.
flexibility/flɛksəˈbɪləti/nounability to adapt or change easily灵活性A four-day workweek offers greater flexibility.
leisure/ˈliʒər/noun/free time not occupied by work/空闲时间/A four-day workweek enhances our leisure time.
fulfilling/fʊlˈfɪlɪŋ//adjective/providing satisfaction or happiness/令人满意的/A four-day workweek allows for more fulfilling and enjoyable weekends.
implementation/ɪmpləmɛnˈteɪʃən/nounthe process of putting a plan into effect实施Prioritizing the implementation of a four-day workweek would lead to increased happiness.
well-being/ˈwɛlbiɪŋ/nouna good or satisfactory condition of existence; welfare幸福感A four-day workweek would lead to increased happiness and overall well-being.
traditional/trəˈdɪʃənl/adjectivecustomary; long-established传统的I could only participate on Saturday due to my traditional work schedule.
convinced/kənˈvɪnst/adjective/completely certain about something/确信无疑的/I am convinced that a four-day workweek would lead to increased happiness and overall well-being.
prioritize/praɪˈɔrətaɪz/verb/to treat something as more important than other things/优先考虑/I am convinced that prioritizing the implementation of a four-day workweek would lead to increased happiness.

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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