Onterra TutorDescribe a place you go to when you need to think clearly.
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 place you go to when you need to think clearly. Where is it, and why does it help you?
Model answer
When my head is crowded I walk to the third bridge over the canal near my flat, always at the same time, just after sunset. Nothing about it is beautiful. There is a scrap yard on one bank and a bus depot on the other, and that is exactly why it works: there is nothing there worth looking at, so my attention has nowhere to go except the problem I brought with me. I have decided about a job, an argument with my brother and a move to another city standing at that railing. The water moving underneath seems to give my thinking a rhythm, and by the time the traffic noise fades I usually know what I actually want.
Why this answer scores
- Chooses an unglamorous, specific place, which makes the description believable rather than generic.
- Explains why it helps through a clear mechanism (nothing to look at, so attention stays on the problem).
- Around 120 words with natural sentence variety and no filler opening.
Do not memorise model answers; raters recognise recycled essays instantly. Study the moves, then make them with your own ideas, and check where you stand with a scored practice.
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