All Samples

TOEFL TPO 14 Academic Discussion Writing Sample: Your professor is teaching a class on career readiness. Write a post responding to the professor’s question.

Real user submissions with AI-powered evaluation and feedback

207 user-submitted samples available

Start Free Practice

Task Overview

Doctor Gupta

When students are preparing to graduate from university, they need to make decisions about what kind of company they want to work for. They might consider large, older companies with an established reputation, or possibly new start-up companies, which tend to be small but very focused on the future. Consider the advantages of each. Would it generally be better for a new university graduate to begin working for a large, established company, or for a small start-up company? Why?

Kelly

I think in general, the established company is the better choice. Because they’re already well-known, these companies have a certain amount of respect in the business community, so it would look good to have that job experience on your résumé. That advantage alone would be a great start for a recent graduate.

Andrew

I see your point, Kelly, but taking a position at a start-up company would offer so much excitement. They often have an energy that older companies can’t match—everyone can be focused on new, innovative business practices and they would be more aggressive about getting new clients. That would be a much better experience for someone fresh out of university!

User Samples & Evaluation Results

User Sample

From my humble perspective, I believe that working in a large company is better for new graduate students as it provide mature working environment and professional facilities. Admittedly, as Andrew suggests, a small start-up company are usually more ambitious and has more attention in getting more clients, which gives studenrts many chance, However, the large company are better. First, it has a mature working environment which has been developped for many years and more productive. In contrast, the new start-up company might suffer from low effecient as they is not prepared with much experience. In addition, the large company is equiped with basic facilities due to their many years of developping. Hence, it solves many working problems and is beneficial to work's future development, which is why I agree to Kelly's viewpoint.

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

25. 3 任务完成度

这篇文章在回答问题方面做得不错,表达了对大公司的支持,并提供了一些理由。但是,为了更好地完成任务,建议在论述中提供更具体的例子和详细信息。此外,注意语法错误和词汇使用。

示例1:将 "the large company are better" 改为 "the large companies are better" 示例2:将 "they is not prepared with much experience" 改为 "they are not equipped with much experience"

4. 文章结构与组织

文章的结构和组织方面还有待改进。虽然有简短的引言、主体和结论,但段落之间缺乏明确的过渡。建议使用过渡词或短语来连接观点,并确保每个段落都集中讨论一个特定的观点。

示例1:在第二段开始时添加过渡词,如 "On the other hand," 示例2:在最后一句中添加总结性陈述,如 "In conclusion, working for a large, established company offers more stability and professional growth opportunities for recent graduates."

5. 语法批改

From my humble perspective, I believe that working in a large company is better for new graduate students as it provide mature working environment and professional facilities. Admittedly, as Andrew suggests, a small start-up company are usually more ambitious and has more attention in getting more clients, which gives studenrtsstudents(misspelling) many chancemany chances(Possible agreement error: 'many/several/few' + singular countable noun), However, the large company areis(punctuation + singular noun + plural verb) better. First, it has a mature working environment which has been developpeddeveloped(misspelling) for many years and more productive. In contrast, the new start-up company might suffer from low effecientefficient(misspelling) as they isare(Detects potentially wrong usage of "is") not prepared with much experience. In addition, the large company is equipedequipped(misspelling) with basic facilities due to their many years of developpingdeveloping(misspelling). Hence, it solves many working problems and is beneficial to work's future development, which is why I agree to Kelly's viewpoint.

Section Title: 6 Article Revision

In my opinion, joining a large, established company is more advantageous for recent university graduates as it offers a mature working environment and professional resources. While Andrew's argument that start-up companies possess ambition and a focus on acquiring clients is valid, the benefits of working for a large company outweigh those of start-ups.

Firstly, established companies have developed a productive work environment over the years, which can contribute to the professional growth of new graduates. In contrast, start-ups may face efficiency challenges due to their limited experience. Moreover, large companies are equipped with essential facilities and resources resulting from years of development. This not only helps resolve work-related issues but also supports employees' future career advancement. Therefore, I concur with Kelly's viewpoint that recent graduates would benefit more from working in a well-established organization. (139 words)

From In my humble perspective, I believe that working in opinion, joining a large large, established company (revised for clarity and conciseness) is better more advantageous for new graduate students recent university graduates (clarified the subject) as it provide offers a mature working environment and professional facilities. ¶ Admittedly, as Andrew suggests, resources (changed "facilities" to "resources" for better word choice). While Andrew's argument that start-up companies possess ambition and a small start-up company are usually more ambitious and has more attention in getting more clients, which gives studenrts many chance, However, focus on acquiring clients is valid, the benefits of working for a large company are better. First, it has outweigh those of start-ups.

Firstly, established companies have developed a mature working productive work environment over the years (rephrased for clarity), which has been developped for many years and more productive. can contribute to the professional growth of new graduates. In contrast, the new start-up company might suffer from low effecient as they is not prepared with much experience. In addition, the large company is equiped with basic facilities start-ups may face efficiency challenges due to their many limited experience (revised for better word choice). Moreover, large companies are equipped with essential facilities and resources (combined sentences for better flow) resulting from years of developping. Hence, it solves many development. This not only helps resolve work-related issues but also supports employees' future career advancement (rephrased for clarity). Therefore, I concur with Kelly's viewpoint that recent graduates would benefit more from working problems and is beneficial in a well-established organization (rephrased to work's future development, which is why I agree to Kelly's viewpoint.maintain consistency in terminology).

8 思维导图


1. 优势比较
   - 大公司
       - 成熟的工作环境
       - 专业资源
   - 创业公司
       - 雄心勃勃
       - 客户获取为重点

2. 工作环境与效率
   - 大公司: 经验丰富,高效率
   - 创业公司: 经验不足,可能面临效率挑战

3. 设施与资源支持
   - 大公司: 完善的设施和资源,有利于解决问题和职业发展
   - 创业公司: 资源有限

4. 结论: 对于应届毕业生来说,加入大型企业更有利于职业成长。

9 关键词

WordPhonetic SymbolPart of SpeechEnglish definitionSimplified Chinese translationSample sentences
advantageous/ˌæd.vənˈteɪ.dʒəs/adjectivegiving an advantage; helpful; favorable有利的Working for a large company is more advantageous for recent graduates.
ambition/æmˈbɪʃ.ən/nouna strong desire to achieve something雄心Start-up companies possess ambition and a focus on acquiring clients.
efficiency/ɪˈfɪʃ.ən.si/nounthe ability to do something well and quickly效率Established companies have developed a productive work environment, which contributes to their efficiency.
facilities/fəˈsɪl.ɪ.ti/nounbuildings, equipment, or services设施Large companies are equipped with essential facilities and resources.
resources/rɪˈsɔːrs/nounuseful materials, money, or people资源The resources of large companies can help resolve work-related issues and support employees' career advancement.
professional/prəˈfeʃ.ən.əl/adjectiverelating to work that needs special training专业的A large company offers a mature working environment and professional resources for recent graduates.
development/dɪˈvel.əp.mənt/nounthe process of growing or changing into a more advanced state发展Large companies have years of development, resulting in better facilities and resources for employees.
advancement/ədˈvæns.mənt/nounthe process of helping something to progress进步,晋升Working in a well-established organization supports employees' future career advancement.
viewpoint/ˈvjuː.pɔɪnt/nouna way of thinking about a subject观点I concur with Kelly's viewpoint that recent graduates would benefit more from working in a well-established organization.

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