Updated October 2026
Write for an Academic Discussion: structure and sample answers
The best way to understand this Writing task is to see what a good post looks like and why. This guide uses an original practice prompt, a stronger and a weaker sample answer, and a structure you can reuse in the ten minutes the task allows.
The practice prompt
In the task you see a question from a professor in an online class discussion and short replies from two students who take different positions. You add your own post. The prompt below was written for this guide in the same style. Read it as you would on the test, and decide what you think before you read on.
Professor Ortiz:
Many universities now record every lecture and put the videos online. Some people say this helps students learn; others think it makes students less likely to attend class and engage. Should universities record all lectures and make them available online? Why or why not?
Hana:
Yes. Students who are sick or who work part-time should not fall behind. Recordings also let everyone review difficult parts of a lecture before an exam.
Marcus:
I disagree. If every lecture is online, many students will stop coming to class and plan to "watch it later". In my experience, later often never comes.A structure for ten minutes
Ten minutes is enough for one well-built paragraph, not for an essay. A simple plan keeps you from spending five of those minutes deciding what to say.
About 1 minute: read and choose a side
Read the professor's question carefully and note what the two students argue. Pick the position you can support best, not the one that sounds most impressive.
Your opening sentence
State your position directly. If it helps, connect it to one of the students in the same sentence: you agree with one of them, but for a different reason.
About 6 minutes: one reason, developed
Give your main reason, explain why it is true, and support it with a specific example: a situation, a number you are sure of, or a short personal experience. If there is time, add a second reason or answer the strongest objection.
About 1 to 2 minutes: close and check
Add one sentence that returns to the question, then reread for missing words, verb forms and articles.
A stronger sample post
This post is about 140 words. It takes a clear position, connects to the discussion, and spends most of its words developing one reason with a concrete example.
I agree with Hana that lectures should be recorded, but I think the strongest reason is not convenience. It is that recordings change how students learn from a lecture. During a live class, many students spend their energy copying slides and trying to write down every word, so they are not really thinking about the ideas. Last year, in my statistics course, the professor posted recordings, and I stopped taking full notes in class. Instead, I listened, asked questions, and then used the video afterwards to check two or three difficult parts. My grade improved, and I understood the material better. Marcus has a point that some students will skip class, but that is a problem of motivation that would exist anyway. On balance, recordings help students who want to learn more than they harm those who do not.Why it works
The position comes first
The reader knows the writer's view from the first sentence, and the link to one classmate shows the post belongs in the discussion.
It adds something new
Instead of repeating the classmate's argument, it adds a new angle: the difference between short-term and long-term motivation.
The example is specific
A particular course, a particular habit, a particular result. General claims such as "many people" or "in today's society" prove much less.
It answers the other side
One sentence takes the opposing view seriously and limits the claim, which makes the argument more convincing, not weaker.
A weaker sample post
The next post is roughly the same length, and its grammar is mostly correct. It would still score lower. It spends half its words repeating the two students, gives three reasons without explaining any of them, and never says clearly which side the writer is on.
The fix is not more advanced vocabulary. It is a clear first sentence, one reason developed with an example, and a sentence that ends the post.
This is an interesting question. Hana says that recordings help students who are sick or work, and they can review before exams. Marcus says that students will stop coming to class and watch it later, but later never comes. Both of them have good points. Recordings are convenient. Also, technology is very important in today's society. Also, students can save time. However, some students are lazy. So there are advantages and disadvantages, and universities should think about it carefully.How long should the post be?
Length alone is not what earns points. What earns points is a position that is explained and supported, and a post that is too short rarely has room for that. Many teachers suggest aiming for somewhere around 100 to 150 words in ten minutes. That is enough to develop a reason properly and still leave time to check.
If you type slowly, work on typing speed separately. It is one of the cheapest ways to gain time for ideas in this task.
Useful phrases
Having a few phrases ready saves seconds at the start of each sentence. Use them naturally, and do not build a post entirely from templates: raters read many posts that start the same way.
Taking a position: "In my view, …" · "I would argue that …" · "I side with Hana on this, but for a different reason."
Developing a reason: "The main reason is that …" · "This matters because …" · "In other words, …"
Giving an example: "For instance, in my first year …" · "A good example of this is …"
Responding to a classmate: "Marcus makes a fair point about …, but …" · "Building on what Hana said, …"
Closing: "On balance, …" · "For these reasons, …"How to practise
Write one post a day on a debatable question, with a ten-minute timer. Afterwards, label each sentence: position, reason, explanation, example, response to a classmate, conclusion. A sentence that is none of these can usually be cut.
Then compare your post with the stronger sample above. Is your example as specific? Did you develop one reason or list three? You can also practise the real task format on the free practice question page and get feedback on a full mock test.
This is an independent summary written for test takers. ETS publishes the official specification of the test on its own website.