What decision should your response help address?
ETS describes this task as contributing to an online class discussion by expressing and supporting an opinion in response to the views presented. Start with the professor’s question. Student posts offer angles for discussion; they do not replace the problem you need to address.
ETS expects developed ideas, clear expression, and an academic tone, with good control of grammar and vocabulary. The specifications describe a clear, supported argument. Our position–mechanism–example sequence is one tool for achieving that; it is not an official required outline.
Restate the problem to yourself in one simple sentence. Do you need to choose a policy, compare two approaches, or evaluate a consequence? If the question is about replacing part of university orientation, a response about the general importance of college misses the point. Keep the decision itself in your first idea to avoid drifting off topic.
How do you choose an opinion you can develop?
Choose a position whose concrete effect you can explain. A nuanced preference works if it leads to a clear decision: replace some presentations, keep those about safety, or try the new format with one group. A nuanced response does not mean saying both options are good without choosing.
Build a core line of reasoning: decision, reason, mechanism. “The walks would help new students” states a benefit; “they would complete a useful task themselves and could repeat it later” explains how that benefit would occur. You can build a strong contribution around one carefully developed reason instead of listing several unrelated benefits.
How do you respond to a student without restating their whole post?
Choose the specific idea you are using. You can share a concern, add a condition, or point out a limitation. Naming the student makes the connection clear; it is not a contribution on its own. After “I agree with Lina,” the reader still needs your reason.
Try this check: if you remove the sentence naming the student, is there still a developed idea of your own? Then reverse the test: is the connection to the discussion still clear? A good balance acknowledges the exchange without turning your response into a summary of the posts. Our method requires neither direct quotations nor a response to every participant.
What example makes your reasoning more convincing?
A useful example shows the mechanism you described. If you support learning the campus by doing, describe a small task: finding an office, asking for information, or retracing a route. A story about a successful party does not demonstrate the same benefit, even if it takes place on campus.
Present a hypothetical example as a possibility, using “for example” and “could.” You do not need to invent a study, statistic, or expert testimony. Complete the connection by explaining why the scenario supports your decision. Without that final link, the example may remain an interesting detail with an unclear role in your argument.
What can you add to this discussion about university orientation?
The professor and students are fictional. Write a contribution before reading the example. Then check your position, connection to an existing idea, and what your explanation adds to the discussion.
Professor Chen: Our university is considering replacing half of its orientation presentations with student-led problem-solving walks. New students would complete small tasks around campus. Should the university make this change? Explain your view. Lina: Long presentations give newcomers too many facts at once. Finding a service with a student guide would make the information easier to remember. Dev: I worry that different guides would skip different facts. Every newcomer needs the same safety and registration information. Write a contribution to the discussion. Support your position and respond to an idea raised above.
Enter your answer before viewing the review.
The solution, step by step
One possible response: “I would support replacing some presentations, provided that essential safety and registration information remains in a shared session. Lina’s suggestion could help students turn information into an action they can repeat. For example, a group might locate the equipment desk and ask how to borrow a laptop. Completing that task would connect the service’s name with its location and procedure, instead of leaving it as another item on a slide. Dev’s concern is reasonable, so guides should use the same short checklist of required stops. The walks would then provide practical experience while the common session and checklist would keep essential information consistent.”
The method in action
- The position addresses the partial replacement and adds a clear condition. It does not simply claim that both formats have benefits.
- The response builds on the benefit Lina raised, then explains the mechanism: turning information into an action students can repeat. The laptop checkout example makes that mechanism concrete.
- Dev’s concern leads to a solution—a shared checklist of steps—instead of a simple “however.” The final sentence connects that solution to the position being defended.
- This text is an example of reasoning, not a response to memorize or a sample with a predicted score. A well-developed contribution taking the opposite position could also meet the prompt.
The pitfall
Listing opinions instead of making an argument
“It is useful, interesting, and important” piles on judgments without explaining why. For each benefit, add an explanatory link: who would act differently, in what situation, and with what result? If you are short on space, develop one reason instead of adding another.
Also avoid generic introductions about the modern world. Address the problem, then review the connections among your position, reason, and example. The steps in this article are preparation tools; they are neither an ETS-required outline nor a score guarantee.
Key takeaways
- Address the specific decision raised by the professor.
- Explain a mechanism, then show it in a relevant example.
- Use an idea from the discussion to build your own contribution.
- A qualification should lead to a clear position and an explained condition.