Writing: Write for an Academic Discussion

Writing: Write for an Academic Discussion belongs to the Writing component of TOEFL iBT. The task gives you 10 minutes to write. ETS scores the response from 0 to 5 with its published Academic Discussion scoring guide, using AI scoring.

Time
10 minutes
Prompts here
22 published

Learn the discussion vocabulary that earns marks here — stating a position, agreeing in part, conceding a point and adding evidence to an online academic thread.

You are joining a discussion, not writing an essay. Referring to another contributor and then extending or qualifying their point is what makes the response read as a contribution.

Sample answer

One strong response to this prompt, written by ExamStep to show what the task asks for. It is not an ETS answer and not a scored benchmark: ETS scores this task from 0 to 5 with its published scoring guide.

Sample answer137 words

Companies should set the expectation but leave most of the detail to teams rather than to individuals. Elena is right that commuting is a real cost, and that a company measuring results has little reason to count desks. But Tomas describes something I have seen myself: the things you learn by accident, from overhearing how a colleague handles a difficult client, are almost impossible to arrange deliberately. The weakness in both positions is that they treat the question as one decision for everyone. A researcher writing alone and a trainee in their first month do not need the same arrangement. I would ask each team to agree two fixed days together, chosen for the work that genuinely benefits from a room — planning, reviews, and bringing new people up to speed — and leave the rest open.

Try one yourself, under the clock

A sample answer shows you the target. It cannot tell you whether your own writing hits it — that is an estimated 0–5 score for each task, with feedback on what earned it.

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Common questions
Do I have to disagree with the other students?
No. Agreeing while adding something new scores as well as disagreeing — what counts is a clear position supported with reasoning.
What vocabulary is assessed?
ETS states that these tasks assess varied grammar and vocabulary in an academic register, so range matters alongside accuracy.
21 more Academic Discussion prompts in the bank2 free
  • ·Write for an Academic Discussion — Test 1
  • ·Write for an Academic Discussion — Test 2
  • ·Write for an Academic Discussion — Test 3
  • ·Write for an Academic Discussion — Test 4
  • ·Write for an Academic Discussion — Test 5
  • ·Write for an Academic Discussion — Test 6
  • ·Write for an Academic Discussion — Test 7
  • ·Write for an Academic Discussion — Test 8
  • ·Write for an Academic Discussion — Test 9
  • ·Write for an Academic Discussion — Test 10
  • ·Write for an Academic Discussion — Test 1
  • ·Write for an Academic Discussion — Test 2
  • ·Write for an Academic Discussion — Test 3
  • ·Write for an Academic Discussion — Test 4
  • ·Write for an Academic Discussion — Test 5
  • ·Write for an Academic Discussion — Test 6
  • ·Write for an Academic Discussion — Test 7
  • ·Write for an Academic Discussion — Test 8
  • ·Write for an Academic Discussion — Test 9
  • ·Write for an Academic Discussion — Test 10
  • ·Academic Discussion — Cars on campusfree
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