In TOEFL Writing Part 3, professors typically present discussion prompts in one of three formats.
Agree or disagree
Which do you prefer: A or B?
Open-ended questions
On this page, you will focus on practicing the first type: agree–disagree academic discussion questions.
Practice Question
Prompt
A professor has posted a discussion question, and students have shared their views. Make a contribution to the discussion.
You will have 10 minutes to write.
Your professor is teaching a class on family life and social change. Respond to the professor’s question.
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
Family living arrangements vary widely across societies. In some communities, young adults continue living with parents or grandparents after finishing school or starting work. In others, moving out is seen as an important step toward adulthood. Do you agree or disagree with the idea that young adults benefit from living in a multigenerational household? Explain your reasoning.
Student 1
Living in a multigenerational household can be beneficial for young adults. It gives them access to daily support that they might not have if they lived alone. For example, family members can share household tasks, offer advice, and help reduce living costs. This kind of environment can make the transition into adulthood less stressful.
Student 2
Living separately is usually better for young adults. Having their own space forces them to handle daily responsibilities without depending too much on their family. They need to manage expenses, organize routines, and solve problems on their own, which can help them become more mature.
Remember that, according to official TOEFL Writing guide video, you don’t necessarily have to address each student’s response. Indeed, if you can express your ideas with more than 100 words, you can simply write that down, and you will still have 5 marks out of 5.
Young adults can benefit from living in a multigenerational household. Moving into adulthood is not only about living alone; it is also about learning how to take responsibility within real relationships. In a household with parents or grandparents, young adults may receive guidance while still handling their own work, studies, and daily duties.
This became clear to me when my cousin lived with his grandparents during his first year of work. He paid part of the household expenses and helped with chores, so he was not simply depending on them. At the same time, their advice made difficult situations easier to handle. Because this kind of household can combine responsibility with support, it can help young adults grow in a stable way.
Opening of the Response
The response begins by taking a clear position:
I agree that smell can strongly influence memory.
This sentence directly answers the agree/disagree prompt. Since the writer’s position is clear from the beginning, the rest of the paragraph can stay focused.
In school writing, students are often encouraged to consider both sides of an issue. However, TOEFL academic discussion tasks are different. You have only 10 minutes, so trying to develop both sides makes the response too broad and unfinished. For this reason, it’s better to focus on one clear position and support it with a specific reason or example.
The next sentence explains the main idea:
Moving into adulthood is not only about living alone; it is also about learning how to take responsibility within real relationships.
This sentence is important because it challenges a common assumption: independence doesn’t always mean physical separation from family. The response defines maturity in a different way, as responsibility within a shared living situation.
General Explanation
The response then explains how a multigenerational household can support young adults:
young adults may receive guidance while still handling their own work, studies, and daily duties.
This keeps the answer balanced without becoming neutral. The writer is not saying that young adults should depend completely on family members. The point is that support and responsibility can exist in the same household.
Personal Example
The example about the writer’s cousin shows the main idea in a specific situation. The cousin lives with grandparents, but he contributes to the household:
He paid part of the household expenses and helped with chores, so he was not simply depending on them.
This detail is effective because it proves that living with older relatives does not automatically prevent independence. The example also shows the practical value of family support:
their advice made difficult situations easier to handle.
The example stays directly connected to the prompt because it shows how a young adult can benefit from a multigenerational home.
Conclusion
The final sentence returns to the main claim:
Because this kind of household can combine responsibility with support, it can help young adults grow in a stable way.
This conclusion doesn’t add a new idea. It brings together the two points already developed: the young adult takes responsibility, and the family provides useful support. This gives the response a clear ending.
Hi, I completed a Master’s program at Purdue University, where I specialized in test design and assessment effectiveness. My academic focus was English-language standardized tests, including the TOEFL, IELTS, ACT, SAT, and GRE. I began writing these articles because, when I was preparing for the SAT and GRE myself, I found few resources that explained the tests in a systematic and practical way. My goal is to create materials in which solving questions naturally builds the background knowledge needed for the exams, helping learners manage both content and strategy more effectively.
