Lesson 31 of 41 in the Test Ninjas TOEFL course: Write for an Academic Discussion, Writing. In Write for an Academic Discussion, you read a professor’s question and two classmates’ posts, then add your own contribution.
Test Ninjas Research · Updated October 1, 2026
Lesson at a glance
Detail
This lesson
Module
Write for an Academic Discussion (Writing)
English focus
Stance, agreement and disagreement (I'd argue, I lean toward, X is right that…, but); referring to classmates' ideas (X argues / points out that…)
Task skill
Reading the professor's question and both posts, then opening with a position that answers that exact question
Time
About 50 minutes
Access
Included in the TOEFL plan
What this lesson teaches
In Write for an Academic Discussion, you read a professor’s question and two classmates’ posts, then add your own contribution.
This lesson teaches the English that makes your place in that discussion clear:
- stance frames that say where you stand and how strongly (I’d argue…, I lean toward…, X works as long as…)
- the small grammar words that keep them correct (agree with, in favor of, prefer X to Y)
- reporting verbs that refer to a classmate’s idea fairly (Mei points out that…)
Then it shows you how to find the professor’s exact question, map both posts, and write an opening that answers that question and places you next to one classmate.
By the end of the lesson, you can
State a position with a firm, leaning or conditional stance frame (I’m convinced that…, I lean toward…, On balance, I’d say…, X works better when…) and use the frames’ grammar correctly (agree with / agree that, in favor of, prefer X to Y, would rather … than).
Refer to a classmate’s idea fairly with a reporting verb or noun frame (Mei argues / points out / suggests / worries that…; Mei’s point that…), then place yourself next to it: agree and add, partly agree, or disagree.
Find the professor’s real question and its type, map each post’s position and reason, and write an opening that answers that exact question and places you in relation to one classmate.
What’s inside
Around the 3 teaching cycles below, the lesson opens with a quick check and closes with applied practice, a Check and a debrief. How every course lesson is built.
Teaching cycles in lesson 31
Cycle
Focus
What it teaches
Drills
Cycle 1
English
Stance: saying where you stand
7
Cycle 2
English
Referring to classmates' ideas
7
Cycle 3
Task skill
Reading the question and both posts
8
Word bank
The 10 words and phrases this lesson teaches. They come from the real course questions you practice on in the Apply step, so you meet each one again in context.
concern noun
a worry; something people care about
The main concern for most tenants is how loud the building work will be.
Goes with:
raise a concern; a fair concern; X’s concern that…
Word family:
concern (verb): The new rule concerns every tenant.; concerned (adjective): concerned about
lean verb
to prefer one choice slightly, without being fully decided
I lean toward the morning yoga class, since the evening one ends so late.
Goes with:
lean toward an option; lean the other way
Word family:
leans, leaned, leaning (verb forms); leaning (noun): a tendency toward one view
reveal verb
to show something that was hidden or not known
A short practice test can reveal which topics you still need to review.
Goes with:
reveal a problem; reveal how / that…
Word family:
revelation (noun); revealing (adjective)
treat verb (treat X as Y)
to think of or deal with something in a particular way
Try not to treat a low quiz score as a sign that you can’t learn the subject.
Goes with:
treat something as a simple choice; treat a mistake as a lesson
Word family:
treatment (noun)
recover from verb + preposition
to get better after a problem or loss
It took the design team a week to recover from losing their best illustrator.
Goes with:
recover from a mistake / a setback / a slow start
Word family:
recovery (noun): a recovery from
depend on verb phrase
to change because of something else; to be decided by
Your final grade depends on the project as much as on the exam.
Goes with:
It depends on whether…; depend on + noun
Word family:
dependent on (adjective); dependence (noun)
context noun
the situation or information around something that helps explain it
Without context, a single line from an interview can sound much harsher than the speaker meant.
Goes with:
without context; in this context; give some context
Word family:
contextual (adjective)
instructive adjective
teaching you something useful
Watching a recording of my own interview was more instructive than reading any guide.