Write for an Academic Discussion Test #124
Write for an Academic Discussion
TOEFL iBT / Writing / Write for an Academic Discussion Video Solution (Tips & Tricks)
A professor has posted a question about a topic and students have responded with their thoughts and ideas. Make a contribution to the discussion.
You will have 10 minutes to write.
Your professor is teaching a class on social studies.
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.
Professor’s question:
A major choice many people face is whether to live in a large city or in a smaller, rural community.# Urban areas offer more job opportunities and cultural attractions but often come with more stress.# Rural life can be calmer and closer to nature but may offer fewer amenities.# Which environment do you think is generally better for a person's overall quality of life?# Why?
Student response 1:
I think living in a city is better for overall quality of life because of the endless opportunities it provides for career and personal growth.# There are more jobs, schools, and cultural events.# Additionally, the diversity of people you meet in a city can broaden your perspective on the world.
Student response 2:
I believe rural life is superior for well-being.# The pace of life is slower, which reduces daily stress.# However, the biggest advantage is the stronger sense of community.# As a result, people often feel more connected to their neighbors and have a stronger support system than in a big city.
Sample Score 5
I believe both environments can offer a good quality of life, but overall it depends on individual priorities.|Cities provide strong advantages in terms of career opportunities, education, and cultural diversity, which can support long-term professional growth.|As Student 1 mentioned, exposure to different people and ideas can broaden one''s worldview and encourage personal development.|However, rural areas offer a calmer lifestyle with less daily pressure and stronger social bonds, as Student 2 explained.|In my opinion, while cities may improve quality of life through opportunity and access, rural communities are often better for mental health and emotional balance.|Therefore, the ideal environment varies by life stage, but rural living may provide a more sustainable sense of well-being in the long run.
Sample Score 4
I think both city life and rural life have positive effects on quality of life.|Living in a city gives people more job options and cultural activities, which can be exciting and motivating.|This environment is especially useful for people who want to grow professionally and meet diverse individuals.|On the other hand, rural life is quieter and less stressful, which can help people feel more relaxed.|As Student 2 mentioned, close community relationships can increase feelings of support and belonging.|Overall, I believe rural life may offer a better balance, even though cities provide more opportunities.
Sample Score 3
I believe rural life is generally better for quality of life.|Life in rural areas is slower and calmer, which helps reduce stress.|People also know their neighbors better and feel more connected.|City life has more jobs and activities, but it can be very stressful.|Some people may enjoy the city, but others may feel overwhelmed.|For these reasons, I think rural communities are better for overall well-being.
TOEFL Writing – Write an Email Scoring Guide
SCORE 5: A fully successful response
The response is effective, is clearly expressed, and shows consistent facility in the use of language.
A typical response displays the following:
- Elaboration that effectively supports the communicative purpose
- Effective syntactic variety and precise, idiomatic word choice
- Consistent use of appropriate social conventions (e.g., politeness, register, organization of information and formulation of actions such as requests, refusals, criticisms, etc.)
- Almost no lexical or grammatical errors other than those expected from a competent writer writing under timed conditions (e.g., common typos or common misspellings or substitutions like there/their)
SCORE 4: A generally successful response
The response is mostly effective and easily understood. Language facility is adequate to the task.
A typical response displays the following:
- Adequate elaboration to support the communicative purpose
- Syntactic variety and appropriate word choice
- Mostly appropriate social conventions
- Few lexical or grammatical errors
SCORE 3: A partially successful response
The response generally accomplishes the task. Limitations in language facility may prevent parts of the message from being fully clear and effective.
A typical response displays the following:
- Elaboration that partially supports the communicative purpose
- A moderate range of syntax and vocabulary
- Some noticeable errors in structure, word forms, use of idiomatic language and/or social conventions
SCORE 2: A mostly unsuccessful response
The response reflects an attempt to address the task, but it is mostly ineffective. The message may be limited or difficult to interpret.
A typical response exhibits one or more of the following:
- Limited or irrelevant elaboration
- Some connected sentence-level language, with a limited range of syntax and vocabulary
- An accumulation of errors in sentence structure and/or language use
SCORE 1: An unsuccessful response
The response reflects an ineffective attempt to address the task. The message may be limited to the point of being unintelligible.
A typical response exhibits one or more of the following:
- Very little elaboration, if any
- Telegraphic language (i.e., short and/or disconnected phrases and sentences) with a very limited range of vocabulary
- Serious and frequent errors in the use of language
- Minimal original language; any coherent language is mostly borrowed from the stimulus
SCORE 0: No response / irrelevant response
The response is blank, rejects the topic, is not in English, is entirely copied from the prompt, is entirely unconnected to the prompt, or consists of arbitrary keystrokes.
Highlights
| ID: | #io5317281658 |