TOEFL TPO -1 Academic Discussion Writing Sample: all high school students be required to spend a specific number of hours learning useful skills outside school. Others think that this requirement is not appropriate for all students. Which view do you agree with? Why?
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Professor
Ensuring that high school students get the education they need is challenging. Some educators are recognizing that regular classes at school may not be enough to prepare students for careers and for life. Because of this, they recommend that all high school students be required to spend a specific number of hours learning useful skills outside school. Others think that this requirement is not appropriate for all students. Which view do you agree with? Why?
Student A
I believe that it is important to learn some skills outside school, but I disagree that this should be a requirement. Many high school students are already overburdened with core subjects like mathematics or history. Since those students are already struggling to find time to study, learning other things outside school can wait until after they graduate from high school.
Student B
I think that learning outside the classroom is a necessity, and I agree that it should be required. Many students lack basic life skills-such as budgeting, first aid, or cooking-and this has many negative consequences. Students could learn basic life skills outside school under the guidance of parents or experts in various fields.
User Samples & Evaluation Results
User Sample
I agree with Andrew's opinion that learning some skills outside school should not be required. In addition to the reason that students are stressful even in school, another important point to consider is that learning skills is to students have the right to choose whatever they like to learn. If we are lacking of the right to regulate our time when we are young, we will not be confident to manage our time in our future. Without this confidence and voluntary behavior, we are likely to give up exploring where our internet lies in. Take my personal experience as an example. When I was in primary school, my mother require me to attend the music course like piano, drawing course and so on. Since I don't know what I really interested in, I adhere to none of these skills and waste the my playing time in childhood which I can use it to explore the world.
Evaluation Result
1. 子项得分
-
Relevance and Contribution to Discussion: 3.5
-
Clarity and Elaboration of Viewpoint: 3.0
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Language Use and Grammar: 3.0
2. 预估分数
22. 3 任务完成度
从任务完成度的角度来看,这篇文章基本上回答了问题,但仍有改进的空间。首先,文章没有明确指出作者同意哪位学生的观点(Andrew并未在对话中出现),这可能会让读者感到困惑。其次,文章中的一些句子表达不够清晰,需要更多细节和例子来支持观点。建议作者在写作时更加关注论据的发展和逻辑性。
改进示例1(英文): Instead of "I agree with Andrew's opinion...", you could write "I agree with Student A's opinion that learning some skills outside school should not be required."
改进示例2(英文): To provide more support for your viewpoint, you could add a sentence like "Moreover, students have different interests and aptitudes, so a one-size-fits-all approach to learning outside the classroom may not be effective."
4. 文章结构与组织
从结构和组织的角度来看,这篇文章可以进一步优化。虽然文章包含了引言、主体和结论部分,但是段落划分不够明确。建议作者在写作时更加关注段落之间的过渡以及每个段落的主题句。
改进示例1(英文): To improve the organization, you could start a new paragraph when discussing your personal experience: "Take my personal experience as an example. When I was in primary school..."
改进示例2(英文): To create a clear transition between ideas, you could add a sentence like "However, there are also valid reasons to consider making some outside learning optional rather than mandatory." before discussing your personal experience.
5. 语法批改
I agree with Andrew's opinion that learning some skills outside school should not be required. In addition to the reason that students are stressful even in school, another important point to consider is that learning skills is to students have the right to choose whatever they like to learn. If we are lacking of the right to regulate our time when we are young, we will not be confident to manage our time in our future. Without this confidence and voluntary behavior, we are likely to give up exploring where our internet lies in. Take my personal experience as an example. When I was in primary school, my mother requirerequires(punctuation + singular noun + plural verb) me to attend the music course like piano, drawing course and so on. Since I don't know what I really interested in, I adhere to none of these skills and waste the mythe(article + possessive form) playing time in childhood which I can use it to explore the world.
Section Title: 6 文章修订
Revised Essay: I concur with the perspective that acquiring skills outside of school should not be mandated for high school students. Apart from the fact that students already face significant stress within their academic environment, it is crucial to acknowledge their autonomy in selecting what they wish to learn. Depriving young individuals of the ability to manage their own time can hinder the development of self-confidence and independence, potentially discouraging them from discovering their true passions. Reflecting on my personal experience, during primary school, my mother insisted that I participate in various extracurricular activities such as piano lessons and drawing courses. As I was unsure of my genuine interests at the time, I failed to commit to any of these pursuits and consequently squandered valuable childhood moments that could have been spent exploring the world around me. (141 words)
I Revised Essay: I concur (agree is a more common word, but "concur" provides variety and formality) with Andrew's opinion that learning some the perspective that acquiring (changed "learning" to "acquiring" for variety) skills outside of school should not be required. In addition to the reason mandated (changed "required" to "mandated" for a more formal tone) for high school students. Apart from the fact that students are stressful even already face significant stress within their academic environment (rephrased to clarify the point and improve sentence flow), it is crucial to acknowledge their autonomy in school, another important point to consider is that learning skills is to students have the right to choose whatever selecting what they like wish to learn. If we are lacking of the right to regulate our Depriving young individuals of the ability to manage their own time when we are young, we will not be confident to manage our time in our future. Without this confidence and voluntary behavior, we are likely to give up exploring where our internet lies in. Take can hinder the development of self-confidence and independence, potentially discouraging them from discovering their true passions (rephrased for clarity and improved sentence flow). Reflecting on my personal experience as an example. When I was in experience, during primary school, my mother require insisted (changed "require" to "insisted" for proper tense and context) that I participate in various extracurricular activities such as piano lessons and drawing courses. As I was unsure of my genuine interests at the time, I failed to commit to any of these pursuits (rephrased for clarity) and consequently squandered valuable childhood moments that could have been spent exploring the world around me to attend the music course like piano, drawing course and so on. Since I don't know what I really interested in, I adhere to none of these skills and waste the my playing time in childhood which I can use it to explore the world.(rephrased for improved sentence flow).
8 思维导图
1. 引言
- 不强制高中生学习课外技能的观点
2. 学术压力
- 高中生已面临巨大的学术压力
3. 自主选择权
- 尊重学生选择自己想学习的内容
4. 自信和独立性发展
- 控制自己时间对个人成长的重要性
5. 发现真正兴趣和激情
- 个人经历与探索世界的价值
6. 结论
- 不应强制高中生参加课外活动,让他们自主选择和发展兴趣爱好。
9 关键词
| Word | Phonetic Symbol | Part of Speech | English definition | Simplified Chinese translation | Sample sentences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| concur | /kənˈkɜr/ | verb | to agree | 同意 | I concur with the perspective that acquiring skills outside of school should not be mandated for students. |
| autonomy | /ɔˈtɑnəmi/ | noun | the right or condition of self-government | 自主权 | It is crucial to acknowledge their autonomy in selecting what they wish to learn. |
| hinder | /ˈhɪndər/ | verb | to create difficulties for, resulting in delay | 妨碍 | Depriving young individuals of the ability to manage their own time can hinder the development. |
| self-confidence | /ˌsɛlfˈkɑnfədəns/ | noun | confidence in oneself and in one's powers | 自信 | Managing their own time can help in the development of self-confidence. |
| independence | /ˌɪndəˈpɛndəns/ | noun | freedom from the control, influence of others | 独立性 | Independence is essential for young individuals to grow and develop. |
| extracurricular | /ˌɛkstrəkəˈrɪkjʊlər/ | adjective | outside the regular curriculum or program | 课外的 | My mother insisted that I participate in various extracurricular activities. |
| squander | /ˈskwɑndər/ | verb | to waste (time, money, etc.) | 浪费 | I failed to commit to any of these pursuits and consequently squandered valuable childhood moments. |
| genuine | /ˈdʒɛnjʊɪn/ | adjective | sincere; authentic | 真正的 | As I was unsure of my genuine interests at the time, I failed to commit to any of these pursuits. |
| exploration | /ˌɛkspləˈreʃ(ə)n/ | noun | the action of exploring an area or idea | 探索 | I could have spent my childhood moments exploring the world around me. |
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
Read the prompt carefully and identify all parts of the question before writing.
Reference the reading passage and the other students' opinions in your response.
Use specific examples to support your main point — avoid generic statements.
Aim for 120-150 words. Longer responses are not always better; clarity and focus matter more.
Practice timed responses (10 minutes) to build fluency under exam conditions.
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