Some people think that it is more important for students to learn about local history than world history. Others believe that studying world history is more valuable for young people today. Which point of view do you agree with? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
TOEFL Independent Writing Scoring Rubric
Position: Clear and consistent stance on the topic
Argumentation & Examples: Sufficient reasons with specific examples
Structure & Coherence: Logical organization and progression
Language Use: Vocabulary variety, grammatical accuracy, fluency
Scored 0-30 based on holistic scoring (original 0-5, scaled to 30).
Answering Tips
Spend 2-3 minutes planning your position
Use the structure: Introduction - Body 1 - Body 2 - Concession - Conclusion
Develop each body paragraph with: topic sentence + explanation + specific example + summary
Use specific examples with names, data, or real events
Reserve 2-3 minutes at the end to check grammar and spelling