TOEFL INDEPENDENT WRITING.
Your professor is teaching a class on public policy. Write a post responding 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.
Doctor Gupta： This week, we will be discussing a shortage of affordable housing that exists in many countries. In these places, housing-both apartments (flats) and houses-are expensive, because populations are growing faster than new housing is being built. Now, think about places in your country that have a housing shortage. In your post, I would like you to indicate the most effective way for the government to address a housing shortage in your country. Please explain why you think so.
Claire： In my country, there is a lack of affordable housing in the big cities. Low-cost housing exists in areas outside of the cities, but that means workers have long commutes to reach their jobs in the cities. I recommend that my government create initiatives to encourage the construction of large buildings with many affordable apartments in cities.
Paul： Claire's recommendation is fine, but many people prefer to live in a house rather than an apartment, even if they have longer commutes. Living in a house can be quieter and more private. So, I believe my government should give subsidies or tax relief to construction companies to build small, affordable single-family houses on unused land that surrounds many cities.
Test Taker's Response.
In my view, the best way to address the housing shortage is to control the population. To be more specific, lowering the birth rate is the ultimate method to solve the housing shortage problem, and it is more effective than subsidizing construction companies to build affordable houses. It is well known that the government has a tight financial budget, so it is significant to allocate funding as wisely as possible. Implementing a policy to control the birth rate does not need any money. However, subsidizing construction companies requires strong financial support as the population in our country is dense. As a result, if the government directs funds to them every year, it will become a financial burden. Even if the government had enough money to carry out this plan, it could not lead to an ideal result. Construction companies would not lower the price of houses since they want to maximize their profits.
Rater's Comments
SCORE 28
You did understand the discussion topic and surely presented good ideas in your response. The simple grammar issue can be avoided. The text 'and it is' is omitted because the idea after is an emphasis of the idea in the preceding clause. You constructed good complex sentences but I will still urge you to use more lexical resources.
The structure is good, The paragraph is well developed and punctuated. The cohesion is good, the ideas within the sentences are well developed and linked.
The subject matter is commendable. Your stand is understood. You presented good views and have explained them convincingly. You show a good understanding of the discussion in relation to other discussants.
Ideally, a good response though more lexical resources are needed. The structure and subject matter are good.