Writing · Free lesson
TOEFL discussion: support your contribution
“I agree” identifies your position, but it does not explain what you contribute. Add an idea the reader can follow.
Professor Scott MendozaThe short answer
State your view, connect it accurately to the discussion and explain a useful reason or example. A reason should show how or why your proposal helps. Repeating useful because it is useful does not develop the idea.
Add reasoning the reader can inspect.
Our fictional discussion asks whether college libraries should offer study-skills workshops. Mei favors them because new students may need help planning study time. Luis prefers recorded advice because students who work need flexibility. You can agree, disagree or combine ideas, but represent those views fairly and explain your own contribution.
Original discussion context
Should college libraries offer study-skills workshops?
Workshops could help new students plan their study time.
Recorded advice would be more flexible for students who work.
Do not claim Luis opposes helping students. His stated concern is flexibility, so respond to that concern.
Position, connection, development
State your position
I support short study-skills workshops.
Connect to a stated idea
Mei’s point about planning is useful.
Explain how it could help
Students could create a weekly plan and ask a tutor for feedback.
Try it now
Develop the contribution
Read all answers and explanations
Which statement explains a mechanism supporting workshops?
Students could build a weekly plan and get feedback on it.Planning and feedback describe how the workshop could help. The other choices repeat approval without development.
Which contribution responds fairly to Luis’s flexibility concern?
We could record short demonstrations so working students can watch later.Watching later addresses schedule flexibility. The first misrepresents Luis; the last does not develop the relevant concern.
Which statement combines the two ideas with a clear reason?
Offer live workshops and recordings so students can choose a format that fits their schedules.The last proposes both formats and explains the schedule benefit. It contributes more than naming two things.
Put it into practice
Expand a bare agreement
Develop agreement with Mei about planning study time. Add a concrete reason without inventing research evidence.
I agree with Mei. Planning is good because it is good.
See a model answer
I agree with Mei. In a workshop, students could draft a weekly plan and get feedback on unrealistic workloads.
The contribution adds a plausible explanation without pretending it is a proven study result.
A little more clarity
Common questions
A few useful details before you move on.
Do I have to agree with a student?
No. You can disagree or qualify an idea. Represent it accurately and explain a relevant reason for your own position.
I see the benefit, but recordings may suit students with changing schedules.
Is adding because enough?
Only if the words after it explain something. A repeated opinion is not a developed reason.
Recorded examples help because students can pause and review a difficult step.
Take it into your day
Explain a relevant reason and respond to what others actually said.
Your next step · Available on Udemy
Make your reasons clearer in English.
The English Grammar and English Speaking Master Course develops sentence-building and communication foundations. Those foundations can support clear explanations while the dedicated TOEFL course is coming soon. The available course is not a complete TOEFL writing program.
Explore the course English Master Course: English Grammar and English Speaking