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TOEFL TPO 8 Academic Discussion Writing Sample: Your professor is teaching a class on economics. Write a post responding to the professor’s question.

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Task Overview

Doctor Achebe

In 1930, a famous economist predicted that at the end of the twentieth century, an average worker would work only 15 hours a week, thanks to advances in technology. This did not happen, as we all know. Nonetheless, the balance between work time and free time remains an interesting question. So, let me ask you today: Twenty years in the future, will people have more leisure time (free time) and less work than they have today? Why, or why not?

Claire

I think it is likely that people will work shorter hours in twenty years than they do today. Our societies are becoming wealthier all the time. It does not seem necessary for people to continue working as hard as they do today. At some point, having more free time should be more important than creating more wealth.

Paul

I am not sure people will work less in the future. As Doctor Achebe wrote, a shortening of the workweek was predicted before. There are many factors that determine how long people work. Our economic system is very competitive. Workers are pushed to work longer and longer hours so that companies have a competitive advantage.

User Samples & Evaluation Results

User Sample

While Paul presents a compelling counterargument regarding the decline of working time, asserting that workers are expected to strive longer in concerning of the extremely competitive market, I believe that declining working hours are destined. Although corporation requires more enormous prolificacy, extending working hours will lower their working satisfaction and therefore reduce their working motivation and efficiency. Consequently, the implementation of this option will not only increase the expenses spent on the labor force but also decrease the overall competitive abilities in the market, outweighing the potential benefits offered by extended working hours. Furthermore, with the rapid development of artificial intelligence, AI may be able to solve the complex issues that were previously handled by humans with fewer or even no extra and unnecessary expenses. Additionally, reducing the working hours enables employees to increase their human capital by leveraging resources available to perfectly engage in this contemporary and technologically advanced society. Therefore, both employers and employees can benefit substantially from the advantages offered by declining working hours.

Evaluation Result

1. Sub Scores

  • Relevance and Contribution to Discussion: 5

  • Clarity and Elaboration of Viewpoint: 4.5

  • Language Use and Grammar: 4.5

2. Estimated Scores

Estimated Score: 28

3. Task completeness

The essay effectively addresses the task requirements by expressing a clear opinion, supporting it with relevant arguments, and contributing to the discussion in a unique way. However, there is room for improvement in terms of elaborating on some points and providing more specific examples to strengthen the argument.

Example 1: Original: "Furthermore, with the rapid development of artificial intelligence, AI may be able to solve the complex issues that were previously handled by humans with fewer or even no extra and unnecessary expenses." Improved: "Furthermore, with the rapid development of artificial intelligence, AI may be able to solve complex issues such as data analysis or customer service tasks that were previously handled by humans, thus reducing labor costs and allowing companies to shorten working hours."

Example 2: Original: "Additionally, reducing the working hours enables employees to increase their human capital by leveraging resources available to perfectly engage in this contemporary and technologically advanced society." Improved: "Additionally, reducing working hours enables employees to invest more time in professional development opportunities such as online courses or workshops, thereby increasing their human capital and contributing positively to both their personal growth and company success."

4. Essay structure and organization

The essay has a clear structure with an introduction, body paragraphs presenting different arguments, and a conclusion. The organization is mostly logical; however, some transitions between ideas could be improved for better flow.

Example 1: Original: "Although corporation requires more enormous prolificacy..." Improved: "Although corporations require increased productivity..."

Example 2: Original: "Therefore, both employers and employees can benefit substantially from the advantages offered by declining working hours." Improved: "In conclusion, both employers and employees stand to benefit substantially from the advantages offered by declining working hours, as it can lead to increased efficiency, cost savings, and improved human capital."

5. Grammar

While Paul presents a compelling counterargumentcounter-argument regarding the decline of working time,hours, asserting that workers are expected to strive longer in concerningthe face of the extremely competitive market, I believe that declining working hours are destined. Although corporation requires more enormous prolificacy,corporations require greater productivity, extending working hours will lower their working satisfaction and therefore reduce their working motivation and efficiency. Consequently, the implementation of this option will not only increase the expenses spent on the labor force but also decrease the overall competitive abilities in the market, outweighing the potential benefits offered by extended working hours. Furthermore, with the rapid development of artificial intelligence, AI may be able to solve the complex issues that were previously handled by humans with fewer or even no extra and unnecessary expenses. Additionally, reducing the working hours enables employees to increase their human capital by leveraging resources available to perfectly engage in this contemporary and technologically advanced society. Therefore, both employers and employees can benefit substantially from the advantages offered by declining working hours.

Display title: 6 Revised Essay

While Paul presents a compelling counterargument regarding the decline of working time, asserting that workers are expected to strive longer in light of the highly competitive market, I believe that a reduction in working hours is inevitable. Although companies demand increased productivity, extending working hours may lower employee satisfaction and consequently reduce their motivation and efficiency. As a result, this approach could not only increase labor costs but also diminish overall competitiveness in the market, outweighing the potential benefits offered by extended working hours. Furthermore, with the rapid development of artificial intelligence, AI may be able to address complex issues previously handled by humans with fewer or even no additional expenses. Additionally, reducing working hours enables employees to enhance their human capital by leveraging resources available to effectively engage in this modern and technologically advanced society. Therefore, both employers and employees can substantially benefit from the advantages offered by declining working hours. (157 words)

While Paul presents a compelling counterargument regarding the decline of working time, time (changed "time" to "hours" for consistency), asserting that workers are expected to strive longer in concerning light of the extremely highly competitive market, market (rephrased for clarity and natural tone), I believe that declining a reduction in working hours are destined. is inevitable. Although corporation companies demand increased productivity (changed "corporation requires more enormous prolificacy, prolificacy" to improve clarity and natural tone), extending working hours will may lower their working employee satisfaction and therefore consequently reduce their working motivation and efficiency. Consequently, the implementation of As a result, this option will approach could not only increase the expenses spent on the labor force costs (rephrased for clarity) but also decrease the diminish overall competitive abilities competitiveness in the market, outweighing the potential benefits offered by extended working hours. Furthermore, with the rapid development of artificial intelligence, AI may be able to solve the address complex issues that were previously handled by humans with fewer or even no extra and unnecessary expenses. additional expenses (rephrased for clarity and natural tone). Additionally, reducing the working hours enables employees to increase enhance their human capital by leveraging resources available to perfectly effectively engage in this contemporary modern and technologically advanced society. society (rephrased for clarity and natural tone). Therefore, both employers and employees can substantially benefit substantially from the advantages offered by declining working hours.

Display title: 8 Mind Map


1. Introduction
   - Counterargument
   - Reduction in working hours

2. Employee satisfaction
   - Lower motivation and efficiency
   - Increased labor costs

3. Competitiveness in the market
   - Diminished overall competitiveness

4. Artificial intelligence (AI)
   - Address complex issues
   - Fewer expenses

5. Enhancing human capital
   - Leveraging resources effectively

6. Modern and technologically advanced society

7. Benefits for employers and employees

8. Conclusion 

Display title: 9 Key Words

WordPhonetic SymbolPart of SpeechEnglish DefinitionEnglish TranslationSample Sentence
Counterargument/ˈkaʊntərˌɑːrɡjʊmənt/NounAn argument or set of reasons put forward to oppose an idea or theory developed in another argument.CounterargumentPaul presents a compelling counterargument regarding the decline of working time.
Inevitable/ɪˈnɛvɪtəbəl/AdjectiveCertain to happen; unavoidableInevitableI believe that a reduction in working hours is inevitable.
Competitiveness/kəmˈpɛtɪtɪvnəs/NounThe ability of a firm or nation to offer products and services that meet the quality standards of the local and world markets.CompetitivenessThis approach could diminish overall competitiveness in the market.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)/ˌɑrtəˈfɪʃəl ɪnˈtɛlɪdʒəns/NounThe theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence.Artificial IntelligenceWith the rapid development of artificial intelligence, AI may be able to address complex issues.
Expenses/ɪkˈspɛnsɪz/NounThe cost required for something; the money spent on somethingExpensesAI may be able to address complex issues with fewer or even no additional expenses.
Leveraging/ˈliːvərɪdʒɪŋ/VerbUse (something) to maximum advantageLeveragingReducing working hours enables employees to enhance their human capital by leveraging resources.
Human Capital/ˈhjumən ˈkæpɪtl/NounThe skills, knowledge, and experience possessed by an individual or populationHuman CapitalEnhancing human capital is essential for both employers and employees.
Technologically advanced/tɛknəˈlɒdʒɪkli ədˈvænst/AdjectiveHaving or involving new and advanced technologyTechnologically advancedWe live in a modern and technologically advanced society.
Declining/dɪˈklaɪnɪŋ/VerbGradually decrease in importance, value, quality, or intensity_Declining_Both employers and employees can benefit from the advantages offered by declining working hours.

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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