Guide to TOEFL iBT® Writing Academic Discussion Task

The TOEFL iBT® Writing Academic Discussion Task is an important part of the TOEFL test. It is the second part of the writing section, where you will receive a question from a professor and responses from two students. You need to read the discussion on the topic and write your response. This blog will guide the format of the task, some sample questions along with their answers for the Academic Discussion Task, and strategies for answering the questions. 

TOEFL iBT Test Writing Section

The TOEFL iBT writing section is designed to test your efficiency in English in an academic backdrop, and how you present your answers. 

• Integrated Writing Task: The Integrated Writing Task is a 20-minute part in which you read a short passage, attend a short lecture, and draft your response based on your understanding. 

• Writing for an Academic Discussion Task: Writing for an Academic Discussion Task has a set time limit of 10 minutes. You state and put forward your opinion in an online classroom discussion.

TOEFL iBT Writing Sample Questions 

Here are all the different types of sample questions one might come across in TOEFL iBT writing academic discussion tasks. 

Sample Question Type 1: Agree or Disagree

Under the agree or disagree question type, you have a statement on which you agree or disagree. For example: 

Sample Question: State whether you agree or disagree with the following statement, and explain why you agree or disagree with the statement with a reason. 

Do you agree or disagree that corporate companies have a positive impact on society? 

Sample Question Type 2: Paired Choice 

In paired choice question type, you have to pick between two choices given in a question. You’re also free to express your personal opinion.  For Example: 

Sample  Question:  While economic growth is the driving factor for creating job opportunities it hugely impacts the environment. If you had to choose between saving the environment or constant economic growth, what would you choose? 

Sample Question Type 3: Imaginary Situation 

In the imaginary situation question type, an imaginary situation is provided to you, based on which you have to state your opinion by taking a side. For Example: 

Sample Question: Some companies prohibit using personal phones during office hours. Do you think it is beneficial for the company and the employees? State your answer with a reason. 

Answer Template 

Here is the template that you can use for every answer type: 

• Main Point (8 seconds) - When you start with the main point, start your sentence with; “I think ….”

• Reason 1 (25 seconds) - Start your first reason with- “First of all or for instance…”

• Reason 2 (12 seconds) - Start your second reason with- “Moreover..” 

Sample Answer 

Here is one sample answer with the same template: 

I think that corporate companies have a positive impact on society.  First of all, corporate companies stimulate economic growth, set standards for ethical behavior, and contribute to the nation's prosperity. For instance, by creating job opportunities, stimulating economic growth, and contributing to overall economic growth corporate companies leave a positive impact. Moreover, companies should be accountable to the customers they serve. By contributing to customer experience positively they create a “conventional and acceptable system”.

Strategies for Writing TOEFL iBT Answers

Here are some strategies for drafting excellent answers for the Writing Academic Discussion Task: 

• Don’t use the same word repeatedly, rather try using different words and vary your vocabulary. 

• Your answer should possess one long reason and one short reason.  

• Use formal phrases like “as a result”, “consequently”,” moreover”, and “therefore”, to connect sentences and ideas. 

• Avoid using idioms. 

• Include only one reason to support your answer, writing multiple reasons might waste your time. 

This was our guide for Writing Academic Discussion Task answers. In the end, we would advise you to keep practicing sample questions, look for more answer templates, follow the above-mentioned strategies for writing answers, and excel in your chance of getting a good score. 

Also Read 

• Top Reasons to Request a TOEFL iBT® Rescore 

• What is a Good TOEFL iBT® Score? 

• How to Tackle TOEFL iBT® Reading Sentence Insertion Questions