Is living with parents into your late twenties positive or negative?

A band 6 model answer to a real TOEFL iBT writing question in the official format, with 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 sociology. 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 Larsen: In many countries, young adults now live with their parents well into their late twenties. Is this trend mainly positive or negative for young people themselves? Grace: It is mostly positive. Staying home lets young people save money, finish their studies and start careers without crushing rent. Families also grow closer when generations share a home. Mateo: I think it delays adulthood. Managing your own bills, cooking and mistakes is how you become independent. Comfort at home can quietly become a trap that keeps people from taking risks.

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Band 6 model answer

I think Grace is right about the economics and Mateo is right about the psychology, so the honest answer depends on what happens inside the arrangement. Staying home while saving aggressively for a degree, a business or a deposit is not delayed adulthood; it is strategy, and in expensive cities it is often the only rational move. The trap Mateo describes is real but it comes from behaviour, not from the address: an adult who pays rent to their parents, cooks, and manages their own obligations is practising independence under a family roof. The question is not where young people live but whether anyone expects anything of them there.

Why this answer earns band 6

Reframes the debate around behaviour rather than location, a genuinely original contribution.
Balances both students fairly before advancing a distinct position.
The closing line compresses the whole argument into one sentence, which raters remember.

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.

Questions about this answer

What band is this model answer?

It is written to band 6, and the notes under it quote the answer's own words to show why.

How long should my answer be?

This model answer is 109 words, and the task asks for at least 100.

What is the most common mistake with a model answer?

Memorising it. Raters recognise recycled answers instantly, so study the moves, then make them with your own ideas.