TOEFL Academic Discussion Writing (Task 2) – Practice Test #022

This TOEFL Writing Task 2 (Academic Discussion) practice test offers a realistic experience with a genuine prompt featuring a professor’s question and responses from two classmates. Follow the instructions closely to simulate the exam conditions. After writing your response, you can submit it for feedback or choose to order a written assessment or video call session to review your writing in detail.

TOEFL Academic Discussion Task Detailed Instructions

Read the Prompt Carefully: Pay close attention to the professor’s question and understand the topic being discussed. What are the two positions presented on the issue? In some cases, the two sides may disagree on the nature or cause of the problem itself. In other cases, they might agree on the problem but propose different solutions or approaches to address it. This will guide your response and ensure that you stay on topic.
Consider Different Perspectives: Reflect on the responses from the two classmates provided in the prompt. Think about how their viewpoints relate to the professor’s question and how you can add to the discussion.
Express Your Opinion: Clearly state your opinion on the topic. Make sure to support your viewpoint with relevant reasoning, examples, or personal experiences to strengthen your argument.
Make a Unique Contribution: Go beyond summarizing the responses of the classmates. This is the main difference between the TOEFL Integrated Writing Task 1 and the new Academic Discussion task. In the older task, you were expected to remain completely unbiased and objective, simply reporting what you read and heard. In contrast, the new task asks you to participate in the discussion by offering your own opinion. Try to contribute something original to the conversation. You can share a new idea, extend one of the points made, or provide a relevant example. This demonstrates your ability to think critically and engage thoughtfully with the topic.
Organize Your Response: Structure your post with a clear introduction, body paragraph(s), and a conclusion. This will help your ideas flow logically and enhance the readability of your response.
Stay Within the Word Limit: Ensure your response contains at least 100 words. This helps you develop your ideas in enough detail to meet the expectations of the task. While 100 words is the minimum, it is often not sufficient to fully explain your position, provide examples, and respond meaningfully to the other students’ comments. Do not feel limited by the word count. Aim to express your opinion clearly and support it with relevant reasoning or personal experience. Personally, I usually end up writing around 200 words when responding to this task, as that length allows me to build a well-structured and thoughtful response without running out of time.
Submit your writing: Use the form below to privately submit your writing for review, or post it publicly in the comment section at the bottom of the page. Posting publicly encourages an organic “Academic Discussion,” allowing other site visitors to join in, respond to your ideas, and share their own perspectives.
Feedback (optional): Order detailed written analysis or a video session to review your response using the official TOEFL writing criteria and identify specific areas for improvement.

Public Transportation vs. Private Vehicles

Academic Discussion

Professor: “We’ve been examining urban transportation systems. Some cities are investing heavily in public transportation networks, while others are expanding roads to accommodate more private vehicles. Which approach do you think cities should prioritize for addressing transportation needs? Why?”

Vahid: “Public transportation should be the priority because it reduces traffic congestion and air pollution. It’s also more affordable for residents and provides transportation options for people who cannot drive. Cities with excellent public transit systems typically have better quality of life.”

Angel: “I believe cities should focus on improving infrastructure for private vehicles. Public transportation cannot effectively serve all areas, especially in spread-out cities. Many people rely on cars for flexibility and convenience, particularly families and those who live or work in areas poorly served by transit.”

Your Response

Sample Response #1 (High-Level Response)

While both Vahid and Angel present valid arguments, I believe cities should prioritize public transportation for environmental sustainability and social equity reasons. Private vehicles contribute significantly to urban pollution and congestion, whereas efficient public transit reduces emissions per passenger. Additionally, quality public transportation provides mobility for elderly, disabled, and economically disadvantaged residents who cannot drive or afford vehicles.

However, this prioritization must acknowledge geographical realities. Dense urban centers benefit most from transit investments, while suburban areas might require hybrid approaches that improve both public transportation connectivity and road infrastructure. Smart city planning should integrate transit-oriented development, which clusters housing and businesses near transit hubs, thereby reducing car dependency while maintaining accessibility.

The ultimate goal should be creating transportation systems that serve all residents efficiently, not eliminating private vehicles entirely.

Sample Response #1 - Examiner Comments

This writer has produced a very effective response that demonstrates strong control of language. The writer clearly supports public transportation while thoughtfully acknowledging limitations and suggesting a nuanced approach based on geographical considerations. The response effectively uses specific terminology related to urban planning (“transit-oriented development,” “geographical realities,” “social equity”) that demonstrates sophistication and subject knowledge. The organizational structure is clear and logical, moving from the position statement through supporting reasons to a balanced conclusion. There are no noticeable grammatical errors, and sentence structure is varied and effective, showing excellent command of English despite time constraints.

Sample Response #2 (Mid-Level Response)

I agree with Vahid that public transportation is better for cities to focus on. Cars cause too much pollution and traffic jams in cities. When I visited New York City, I didn’t need a car because subway went everywhere. This saved money and was faster than driving.

However Angel makes good point that some places are hard to reach with public transportation. For example, people who live in suburbs or countryside need cars to get to work and shopping. But city planners should try to build more bus routes and train lines to connect these areas.

Another problem is that buses and trains are sometimes dirty or dangerous. Cities need to make public transportation clean and safe so more people will use it instead of cars.

Sample Response #2 - Examiner Comments

This response addresses the task and is generally clear, though the writing contains some errors and limitations. The writer develops a position favoring public transportation with personal experience and acknowledges the opposing viewpoint. The organization is adequate, with a clear position and supporting reasons. However, several errors affect the overall quality. There are some issues with articles and subject-verb agreement (“subway went everywhere” instead of “the subway went everywhere”). The writer introduces a new point about safety in the final paragraph without fully developing it. Overall, the response demonstrates adequate but inconsistent control of language and somewhat limited development of ideas.

TOEFL Writing Task 2 Academic Discussion Practice Tests [With Sample Responses & Examiner Comments]

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