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TOEFL Academic Discussion Writing Sample: Your professor is teaching a class on sociology. Write a post responding to the professor's question. In your response you should do the following express and support your opinion. Make a contribution to the discussion in your own words An effective response will contain at least 100 words

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Task Overview

Professor

In the next few weeks, we will be discussing various initiatives to help protect the environment. According to one initiative, plastic, which is extremely harmful for the environment, should be banned entirely. However, many products we use every day are made of plastic: food and drink containers, shopping bags furniture, and even cars. Do you agree that the use of plastic should be banned? Why or why not?

Amy

In my opinion, it would be impossible to convince people to stop buying and using plastic products. Plastic is a cheap, durable material, and as Dr. Achebe noted, we use plastic in an abundance of items. I understand the negative impact of plastic on the environment, but we need to find a different solution than a complete ban.

Rory

I believe it's possible to convince people to use at least lessplastic. There are environmentally friendly alternatives to manyplastic products. For example, instead of plastic shopping bags, I use reusable bags made of fabric. People just need to be educated, and many of them will be happy to use less plastic.

User Samples & Evaluation Results

User Sample

In response to the professor, I agree on this statement and concur with Rory's viewpoint, whose instance is that people can use at least less plastic. I have three primary points for my reason. Firstly, using plastic incurs many disadvantages, including polluting the environment and nature unable to recycle appropriately. Most importantly, a significant portion of the population does not pay attention to recycling plastic. Many people casually throw plastic on the street and pile it up, which harms the environment. Secondly, many other attractive choices can replace plastic, such as using glass drinks and bringing your shopping bag when you go out. Finally, With the rapid development of technology, finding the most suitable alternative to plastic products is within reach, while protecting the environment cannot wait any longer. In essence, the use of plastic should be banned to ensure a better quality of life for all inhabitants while preserving our planet for future generations.

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

27. 3.任务完成度

这篇文章基本上完成了任务要求,但仍有改进的空间。首先,在表达观点时,可以更具体地说明为什么禁止使用塑料是一个好主意。例如,可以提到塑料对海洋生物的影响以及其他环境问题。此外,尽管文章提到了一些替代塑料的方法,但可以更详细地讨论这些方法以及它们如何帮助减少塑料使用。

例1:在讨论禁止使用塑料的原因时,可以添加:“海洋生物经常误食塑料垃圾,导致其死亡。” 例2:在讨论替代方案时,可以添加:“另一个可行的替代品是生物降解材料,如玉米淀粉制成的包装材料。”

4.文章结构与组织 文章结构清晰,包括引言、正文和结论。然而,在段落之间的过渡方面还有改进空间。为了使文章更连贯,请确保在段落之间使用过渡词或短语来引导读者。

例1:在第一段和第二段之间,可以添加过渡词:“首先,使用塑料带来许多弊端,包括污染环境和难以回收。其次,有许多其他有吸引力的选择可以替代塑料。” 例2:在最后一段中,在总结观点时,可以使用过渡词:“综上所述,为了确保所有居民的生活质量并为子孙后代保护我们的星球,应禁止使用塑料。”

5.语法批改

In response to the professor, I agree on this statement and concur with Rory's viewpoint, whose instance is that people can use at least less plastic. I have three primary points for my reason. Firstly, using plastic incurs many disadvantages, including polluting the environment and nature unable to recycle appropriately. Most importantly, a significant portion of the population does not pay attention to recycling plastic. Many people casually throw plastic on the street and pile it up, which harms the environment. Secondly, many other attractive choices can replace plastic, such as using glass drinks and bringing your shopping bag when you go out. Finally, With the rapid development of technology, finding the most suitable alternative to plastic products is within reach, while protecting the environment cannot wait any longer. In essence, the use of plastic should be banned to ensure a better quality of life for all inhabitants while preserving our planet for future generations.

6.文章修订

In response to the professor's question, I concur with Rory's perspective that people can be encouraged to use less plastic. I have three primary reasons for my stance.

Firstly, the utilization of plastic entails numerous disadvantages, such as environmental pollution and challenges in recycling. Most notably, a significant portion of the population neglects proper recycling practices. Many individuals casually discard plastic waste on streets and in landfills, exacerbating environmental issues.

Secondly, there are numerous appealing alternatives to plastic products that can effectively reduce our reliance on them. For instance, glass containers can replace plastic bottles for beverages, and reusable fabric bags can substitute single-use plastic bags during shopping trips.

Lastly, with the rapid advancement of technology, discovering suitable replacements for plastic products is within reach. Meanwhile, addressing environmental concerns cannot be postponed any longer. Therefore, it is imperative to reduce our dependence on plastics and adopt eco-friendly alternatives.

In summary, banning the use of plastic is essential for ensuring a better quality of life for all inhabitants while preserving our planet for future generations. (175 words)

7.文章批改

In response to the professor, professor's question, I agree on this statement and concur (revised for a more formal tone) with Rory's viewpoint, whose instance is perspective that people can be encouraged (changed to passive voice for formality) to use at least less plastic. I have three primary points reasons for my reason. stance.

Firstly, using plastic incurs many the utilization (revised for a more advanced vocabulary) of plastic entails (revised for a more advanced vocabulary) numerous disadvantages, including polluting the environment and nature unable to recycle appropriately. such as environmental pollution and challenges in recycling. Most importantly, notably, a significant portion of the population does not pay attention to neglects (revised for a more formal tone) proper recycling plastic. practices. Many people individuals casually throw plastic discard (revised for a more formal tone) plastic waste on the street and pile it up, which harms the environment. streets and in landfills, exacerbating (revised for a more advanced vocabulary) environmental issues.

Secondly, many other attractive choices there are numerous appealing alternatives to plastic products that can effectively reduce our reliance on them. For instance, glass containers can replace plastic, such as using glass drinks and bringing your plastic bottles for beverages, and reusable fabric bags can substitute single-use plastic bags during shopping bag when you go out. ¶ Finally, With trips.

Lastly, with the rapid development advancement of technology, finding the most discovering suitable alternative to replacements (changed to plural form for consistency) for plastic products is within reach, while protecting the environment reach. Meanwhile, addressing environmental concerns cannot wait be postponed any longer. Therefore, it is imperative (revised for a more advanced vocabulary) to reduce our dependence on plastics and adopt eco-friendly alternatives.

In essence, summary, banning the use of plastic should be banned to ensure is essential for ensuring a better quality of life for all inhabitants while preserving our planet for future generations.

8.思维导图

  • Introduction

    • Concur with Rory
    • Encourage less plastic use
  • Reason 1: Disadvantages of plastic

    • Environmental pollution
    • Challenges in recycling
  • Reason 2: Appealing alternatives

    • Glass containers for beverages
    • Reusable fabric bags for shopping
  • Reason 3: Technological advancements

    • Discovering suitable replacements
    • Addressing environmental concerns urgently
  • Summary:

    • Banning plastic use is essential

9.关键词

WordPhonetic SymbolPart of SpeechEnglish DefinitionChinese TranslationSample Sentence
concur/kənˈkɜr/verbTo agree or have the same opinion同意I concur with your assessment of the situation.
utilization/ˌjuːtɪlaɪˈzeɪʃən/nounThe act of using something effectively利用The project aims to increase the utilization of renewable energy sources.
entails/ɪnˈteɪlz/verbTo involve something as a necessary part or result牵涉,需要Taking on this responsibility entails a lot of hard work and dedication.
exacerbate/ɪgˈzæsərbeɪt/verbTo make a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling worse加重,恶化The proposed factory would only exacerbate the pollution problem in the area.
appealing/əˈpiːlɪŋ/adjectiveAttractive or interesting吸引人的The idea of a vacation is very appealing to me right now.
reliance/rɪˈlaɪəns/nounDependence on someone or something依赖Our reliance on fossil fuels must be reduced for a sustainable future.
advancements/ədˈvænsmənts/nounProgress or improvements进步,发展Technological advancements have revolutionized the way we communicate.
replacements/rɪˈpleɪsmənts/nounThings that take the place of others替代品The company is researching new materials as potential replacements for plastics.
imperative/ɪmˈperətɪv/adjectiveExtremely important and needing to be done or dealt with immediately至关重要的It is imperative that we address climate change as soon as possible.

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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