Onterra TutorDescribe a challenge you faced and how you dealt with it.
Duolingo English Test writing question in the official format, with a full model answer and notes on why it scores. Write your own version below it and get an instant rater-style score.
The question
Describe a challenge you faced and how you dealt with it. What did you learn from the experience?
Model answer
Two years ago I had to give a presentation in English to forty strangers, and public speaking terrified me so much that I once faked illness to avoid it. This time avoiding was impossible, so I changed my method: instead of practising the whole speech, I recorded myself daily and studied the recordings the way athletes study match footage. It was uncomfortable, since nobody enjoys watching their own mistakes, but each recording removed one specific weakness. On the day, I was still nervous, yet I finished, and people asked questions instead of leaving. What I learned is that fear shrinks when it is broken into reviewable pieces. Now I use recordings to prepare for every difficult conversation, not just speeches.
Why this answer scores
- Names a real, relatable challenge and a concrete, unusual method.
- The athlete comparison shows vocabulary range without showing off.
- Ends with the lesson generalised to life, exactly what the prompt requests.
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