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Should schools ban smartphones or teach students to use them?

TOEFL iBT 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

Your professor is teaching a class on technology and society. Write a post responding to the professor's question. In your response, express and support your opinion and add to the discussion in your own words. A strong response has at least 100 words. Professor Chen: Some schools have banned smartphones entirely during the school day, while others teach students to use them as learning tools. Which approach do you support? Nadia: Ban them. Phones are designed to capture attention, and no lesson can compete with a group chat. Students concentrate better and even talk to each other more when phones are locked away. Oliver: Banning avoids the real task. Phones will be part of these students' working lives, so schools should teach focus and responsible use. A ban just moves the distraction to after school.
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Model answer

I side with Oliver, with one concession to Nadia. Banning phones treats the symptom while ignoring the skill students actually need, which is managing their own attention. My secondary school confiscated phones at the gate, and the moment classes ended everyone dived straight back into their screens, having learned nothing about moderation. A better approach is deliberate integration: teachers run quizzes or research tasks on the phones, then require them face down during discussion. Nadia's point holds for younger students, so schools could apply strict rules in junior classes and loosen them gradually as students mature. Teaching responsible use is slower than a ban, but it is the only version that survives graduation.

Why this answer scores

  1. The personal example is specific, brief and directly supports the argument.
  2. The graduated policy answers the opposing view instead of ignoring it.
  3. The final sentence explains why the position matters beyond school, showing depth of development.

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