All Samples

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

Real user submissions with AI-powered evaluation and feedback

33 user-submitted samples available

Start Free Practice

Task Overview

Doctor Achebe

Next, we’ll be discussing the future of higher education, focusing on proposals for making postsecondary education (education after high school) more efficient and more accessible. One such proposal is to make class attendance optional. For instance, under an optional-attendance policy, university students could choose not to attend classes but instead study the course materials and acquire the knowledge on their own time. Their grade would then be based entirely on exams or papers. What are your thoughts on this approach?

Claire

I like the idea of optional attendance. University students have a lot going on, and sometimes it’s difficult to make it to class. As long as students are held accountable for the information they’re supposed to learn, I don’t see why they should have to attend every class session, especially for classes that meet multiple times a week.

Andrew

I have to disagree with Claire. I think that class attendance policies foster another important kind of accountability. They teach discipline and responsibility. Many of the jobs that university or trade school students will pursue after graduation have their own attendance policies, so students should see class attendance as good preparation for entering the workforce.

User Samples & Evaluation Results

User Sample

In my opinion, I strongly agree with Andrew's statement that class attendance is important to students, and I'll add my viewpoints on the following reasons. First, as the detail Andrew points out class attendance can teach them discipline and responsibility, if they are always free to join the class whether they want or not they won't be able to resist at the classroom and be concentrated on the subiects for a short time. Also, when the students graduate they will definitely need to regularly attend to their working places, training students at the college before they graduate can improve them to be managed better. Finally, if class attendance is necessary for students can enhance them to build up a nice time management and organize skills in their life. For instance, needed to appear at different classes, they will have to schedule the daily journal every day to make sure they won't miss any classes.

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 Estimated Score: 28

3.任务完成度 这篇文章基本上完成了任务要求,对于讨论的话题表达了明确的观点,并给出了一些支持观点的理由。但是,为了更好地提高文章质量,建议在以下方面进行改进:首先,在支持观点的理由中可以加入更多具体的例子和细节,使论证更有说服力;其次,注意避免使用重复词汇和表达。

示例1:在讨论学生毕业后需要定期出勤的部分,可以举一个具体职业的例子来说明这一点。 示例2:在提到课堂出勤有助于培养时间管理和组织能力时,可以给出一个实际场景或者学生如何通过规划时间来应对繁重课程的例子。

4.文章结构与组织 文章结构清晰,包括引言、正文和结论。每段都集中讨论一个特定观点,并提供支持细节。然而,在组织方面还有待改进。建议在段落之间加入更明确的过渡语句以及在文章开头和结尾部分更明确地表达观点。

示例1:在引言部分,可以直接提出你同意Andrew的观点,并简要概括你的论证要点。 示例2:在段落之间加入过渡语句,如“此外”、“再者”等,使文章阅读起来更连贯。

  1. 语法批改

In my opinion, I strongly agree with Andrew's statement that class attendance is important to students, and I'll add my viewpoints on the following reasons. First, as the detail Andrew points out class attendance can teach them discipline and responsibility, if they are always free to join the class whether they want or not they won't be able to resist at the classroom and be concentrated on the subiectssubjects(misspelling) for a short time. Also, when the students graduate they will definitely need to regularly attend to their working places, training students at the college before they graduate can improve them to be managed better. Finally, if class attendance is necessary for students can enhance them to build up a nice time management and organize skills in their life. For instance, needed to appear at different classes, they will have to schedule the daily journal every day to make sure they won't miss any classes.

6.文章修订

In my opinion, I strongly concur with Andrew's assertion that class attendance is crucial for students, and I would like to elaborate on the following reasons. Firstly, as Andrew highlights, class attendance instills discipline and responsibility in students. If they have the freedom to attend classes at their discretion, they may struggle to remain focused and engaged in the subject matter for an extended period.

Moreover, upon graduation, students will inevitably need to adhere to regular attendance policies in their workplaces. Therefore, cultivating this habit during their college years can significantly enhance their ability to manage their professional lives effectively.

Lastly, mandatory class attendance can help students develop essential time management and organizational skills. For instance, by being required to attend various classes throughout the day, they must carefully plan their daily schedules to ensure they do not miss any sessions. This practice ultimately prepares them for balancing multiple responsibilities in their future careers.

In summary, compulsory class attendance not only fosters discipline and responsibility but also equips students with vital time management and organizational skills that will prove invaluable in their professional lives. (185 words)

7.文章批改

In my opinion, I strongly agree concur (1) with Andrew's statement assertion (2) that class attendance is important to crucial (3) for students, and I'll add my viewpoints I would like to elaborate on the following reasons. ¶ First, Firstly, as Andrew highlights, class attendance instills discipline and responsibility in students. If they have the detail Andrew points out class attendance can teach them discipline and responsibility, if they are always free to join freedom to attend classes at their discretion (4), they may struggle to remain focused and engaged in the class whether subject matter for an extended period.

(1) "concur" - This word is used instead of "agree" to demonstrate advanced vocabulary.

(2) "assertion" - This term replaces "statement" for a more formal tone.

(3) "crucial" - This word is used instead of "important" to show a higher level of vocabulary.

(4) "at their discretion" - This phrase replaces "whether they want or not they won't be able to resist at the classroom and be concentrated on the subiects not" for a short time. ¶ Also, when the more concise and formal expression.

Moreover, upon graduation, students graduate they will definitely inevitably need to regularly attend to their working places, training adhere (5) to regular attendance policies in their workplaces. Therefore, cultivating this habit during their college years can significantly enhance their ability to manage their professional lives effectively.

(5) "adhere" - This verb is used instead of "attend regularly" for a more precise and formal expression.

Lastly, mandatory class attendance can help students at the college before they graduate can improve them to be managed better. ¶ Finally, if class attendance is necessary for students can enhance them to build up a nice develop essential time management and organize skills in their life. organizational skills. For instance, needed by being required (6) to attend various classes throughout the day, they must carefully plan their daily schedules to ensure they do not miss any sessions. This practice ultimately prepares them for balancing multiple responsibilities in their future careers.

(6) "being required" - This phrase replaces "needed to appear at different classes, they classes," making it more concise and clear.

In summary, compulsory class attendance not only fosters discipline and responsibility but also equips students with vital time management and organizational skills that will have to schedule the daily journal every day to make sure they won't miss any classes.prove invaluable in their professional lives.

8.思维导图

  • Introduction

    • Agree with Andrew
    • Reasons for agreement
  • Reason 1: Discipline and Responsibility

    • Class attendance instills discipline
    • Focus and engagement in subject matter
  • Reason 2: Preparation for Workforce

    • Regular attendance policies in workplaces
    • Cultivating habit during college years
  • Reason 3: Time Management and Organizational Skills

    • Mandatory class attendance helps develop skills
    • Planning daily schedules to attend various classes
  • Summary

    • Compulsory class attendance benefits

9.关键词

WordPhonetic SymbolPart of SpeechEnglish DefinitionSimplified Chinese TranslationSample Sentence
concur/kənˈkɜr/verbagree; be of the same opinion同意,一致意见I concur with Andrew's assertion about the importance of attendance.
assertion/əˈsɜrʃən/nouna confident statement or declaration断言,主张His assertion was supported by evidence.
crucial/ˈkruʃəl// adjective/ extremely important or necessary/ 至关重要的/ Timely intervention is crucial for success.
discretion/ dɪˈskrɛʃən// noun/ the freedom to decide what should be done/ 自由裁量权/ The manager has the discretion to allocate resources as needed.
adhere/ ædˈhɪr// verb/ stick to, follow closely/ 坚持,遵守/ Employees must adhere to company policies.
mandatory/ ˈmændəˌtɔri// adjective/ required by law or rules/ 强制性的/ Attendance at the safety training is mandatory for all employees.
instill/ ɪnˈstɪl// verb/ gradually establish an idea or attitude/ 灌输,逐渐培养/ The teacher aims to instill a love of learning in her students.
cultivate/ˈkʌltɪveɪt/verbdevelop or improve a skill or quality培养,发展He cultivated his leadership skills through various experiences.
invaluable/ɪnˈvæljuəbəl/adjectiveextremely useful; indispensable无价的,非常有用的Her advice proved to be invaluable during the project.
workforce/ˈwɜrkfɔrs/nounthe people engaged in or available for work劳动力,员工群The company has a diverse and talented workforce.

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