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 question about a topic, and students have responded with their thoughts and ideas. Make a contribution to the discussion.
You will have 10 minutes to write.
Your professor is teaching a class on historical change and everyday technology. 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
Technological inventions often change society in ways that people do not immediately notice. Some innovations alter large systems such as transportation or communication, while others quietly reshape daily routines. One example is the development of accurate and widely available timekeeping devices, such as mechanical clocks and later digital clocks. Before these technologies became common, many activities were organized more loosely around natural rhythms such as sunrise or seasonal changes. Do you agree or disagree with the idea that accurate timekeeping technology has been one of the most important influences on modern daily life? Explain your reasoning.
Student 1
Accurate timekeeping has had an enormous impact on modern society. Shared schedules make it possible for large organizations, transportation systems, and schools to operate efficiently. Without reliable clocks, coordinating activities across cities or countries would be extremely difficult.
Student 2
Although clocks are useful, their influence may be overstated. Many aspects of modern life are shaped more strongly by communication technologies or economic systems. Timekeeping devices help organize activities, but they are only one small part of a much larger social structure.
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.
Accurate timekeeping has played a crucial role in shaping modern daily life. Shared and reliable clocks allow people to coordinate activities with others who may live far away. Without precise timekeeping, organizing transportation systems, work schedules, and large institutions would be extremely difficult. This influence becomes clear in everyday situations. For example, trains, meetings, and school classes all depend on exact schedules. If people relied only on natural cues such as daylight, it would be nearly impossible to maintain consistent timing across different locations. Because modern societies depend on coordinated activities involving many people, accurate clocks make large-scale cooperation possible. For this reason, the widespread use of precise timekeeping devices has had a major impact on how daily life is organized.
Opening of the Response
In an Agree–Disagree academic discussion task, the response should begin by clearly stating the writer’s position. The professor’s question asks whether accurate timekeeping has been one of the most important influences on modern daily life, so the answer needs to indicate agreement or disagreement immediately.
The model response does this in the first sentence:
Accurate timekeeping has played a crucial role in shaping modern daily life.
This opening works because it directly addresses the claim in the prompt and establishes the direction of the argument.
Development of the Main Idea
After presenting its position, the response explains why precise timekeeping matters. Instead of moving immediately to an example, the paragraph first introduces a general reason: reliable clocks allow people to coordinate activities with others across distance.
This step is important because it clarifies the broader social significance of timekeeping technology. The response connects clocks not just to individual habits but to systems that involve many participants, such as transportation networks and workplaces.
Use of Concrete Illustration / Example
The paragraph then provides a short illustration involving trains, meetings, and school classes. These examples help the reader visualize situations where exact timing is necessary.
By referring to familiar activities, the response demonstrates how the general claim appears in everyday life. The contrast with natural cues like daylight also helps emphasize how modern coordination depends on precise measurement of time.
Concluding Idea
The final sentences return to the main argument and summarize its implication. Rather than introducing a new idea, the response reinforces the claim that coordinated social systems depend on accurate timekeeping.
Ending in this way keeps the paragraph focused and shows clearly how the explanation and examples support the writer’s position.
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.
