104 TOEFL Independent Writing Topics

This page gives you 104 original opinion prompts, grouped by theme, for practicing the skill the old Independent Writing essay tested: taking a clear position and supporting it with reasons and examples. Pick a prompt, answer it in writing or out loud, and use the tips below to make the practice match today's test.

How to use these topics today

The Independent Writing essay no longer exists, but stating an opinion and explaining it still matters on the current test. The prompts come in three formats:

• Agree or disagree: a statement you support or reject.
• Which do you prefer: a choice between two or more options.
• "A professor asks": an open question like the ones posted in an online class discussion.

Two ways to practice:

• For writing: Write a short, well-organized response with a clear position, one or two reasons, and a specific example for each. That structure carries over directly to the Write for an Academic Discussion task.
• For speaking: Read a prompt aloud and answer in 30–45 seconds without notes. This builds the habit of explaining a personal opinion quickly, which helps with the opinion and experience questions in the Take an Interview task.

For sentence patterns and connecting phrases to use in your answers, see 79 useful TOEFL writing phrases and the transition words list.

The 104 topics

Education and learning

1. Universities should let first-year students take every course on a pass/fail basis so they can explore new subjects without worrying about grades. Agree or disagree?
2. Would you rather take a course from a famous researcher who lectures to 300 students or from a lesser-known instructor who teaches a seminar of 15? Explain your choice.
3. A professor asks: Should high schools require every student to complete a personal finance course before graduating? Why or why not?
4. Students learn more from finding and fixing their own mistakes than from being shown the correct answer right away. Agree or disagree?
5. Your school can either keep the library open until midnight or hire more tutors for the writing center. Which should it choose, and why?
6. A professor asks: Now that recorded lectures are easy to watch at home, should attendance still count toward a course grade?
7. Open-book exams are a fairer test of real understanding than closed-book exams. Agree or disagree?
8. Would you prefer to get feedback on your writing as written comments or in a short one-on-one meeting with your teacher? Explain why.
9. A professor asks: Should students be allowed to use AI writing tools for assignments as long as they clearly explain how they used them?
10. Taking a gap year to work or volunteer before university is more valuable than starting your studies right away. Agree or disagree?
11. Schools should teach practical skills such as cooking, budgeting and basic home repairs as seriously as they teach math. Agree or disagree?
12. Would you rather learn a difficult skill from a video course you can pause and replay or from a live instructor who moves at a fixed pace? Explain.
13. A professor asks: Should universities publish the average grade for every course so students can compare classes before they enroll?
14. Memorizing facts still matters at a time when almost anything can be looked up in seconds. Agree or disagree?

Technology and media

15. Everyone should switch off all phone notifications for at least one full day each week. Agree or disagree?
16. Would you rather get your news from one outlet you trust or from an app that mixes stories from many sources? Why?
17. A professor asks: Should social media platforms be required to show users why a particular post was recommended to them?
18. Online reviews written by strangers are more useful than a salesperson's advice when you buy something expensive. Agree or disagree?
19. If you could keep only one app on your phone for a month, which would you keep, and why?
20. A professor asks: Should children under twelve be allowed to own smartphones? Take a position and explain it.
21. Paying monthly subscriptions for music, films and software is better than buying things you own permanently. Agree or disagree?
22. Would you prefer a smart home that adjusts the lights, heating and music automatically, or a home where you control everything yourself? Explain.
23. A professor asks: When a self-driving car causes an accident, who should be held responsible: the owner, the manufacturer or the software developer?
24. Short online videos can teach a real skill as well as a full-length class can. Agree or disagree?
25. Would you rather play video games online with strangers or offline with friends in the same room? Explain your choice.
26. A professor asks: Should public libraries lend equipment such as laptops, cameras and 3D printers in addition to books?
27. Keeping a public blog is a good way for language learners to improve their writing. Agree or disagree?
28. A professor asks: Should a city spend its technology budget on free public Wi-Fi or on online services such as digital permit applications?

Work and careers

29. Would you rather have a job you can do entirely from home or one that requires you to be in an office every day? Explain.
30. A four-day work week with longer daily hours is better for employees than a five-day week. Agree or disagree?
31. A professor asks: Should unpaid internships be banned? Consider the point of view of both students and employers.
32. Would you prefer a manager who gives detailed instructions or one who sets a goal and lets you decide how to reach it? Why?
33. Changing careers in your forties shows courage rather than poor planning. Agree or disagree?
34. A professor asks: Should companies be required to publish the salary range for every job they advertise?
35. Would you rather be the strongest member of an average team or an average member of an excellent team? Explain.
36. Part-time jobs during the school year help students more than they hurt their grades. Agree or disagree?
37. A professor asks: As machines take over routine tasks, which human skill will become most valuable at work, and why?
38. Would you prefer a clear career path inside one company or a series of short contracts at different organizations? Explain.
39. Employees should have the right to ignore work messages after office hours. Agree or disagree?
40. A professor asks: Is it fair for employers to look at job applicants' personal social media accounts?
41. Would you rather receive a yearly bonus based on your own results or one shared equally by your whole team? Why?
42. Volunteer experience should count as much as paid work experience on a job application. Agree or disagree?

Family and friendship

43. Grandparents who live with their grown children's families make the whole household stronger. Agree or disagree?
44. Would you rather celebrate your birthday with a large party or a quiet dinner with one or two close friends? Explain.
45. A professor asks: At what age should children start receiving pocket money, and should it depend on doing household chores?
46. Friendships that begin online can be just as close as friendships that begin in person. Agree or disagree?
47. When a friend asks for honest feedback on a creative project, you should point out every weakness you notice. Agree or disagree?
48. Would you rather have a few friends you have known since childhood or a wide circle of friends from different stages of your life? Explain.
49. A professor asks: Should adult siblings share the cost of caring for elderly parents equally, even when their incomes are very different?
50. Families should share at least one meal a day with no phones at the table. Agree or disagree?
51. If a close friend asked to borrow a large amount of money, would you lend it or politely say no? Explain your reasoning.
52. A professor asks: Do children today spend too little time playing without adults watching them? Use examples.
53. Teenagers should be allowed to choose their own bedtime on school nights. Agree or disagree?
54. Staying in touch with many acquaintances through occasional messages is worth more than spending that time with a few close friends. Agree or disagree?

Cities and communities

55. Cities should close their central streets to private cars on weekends. Agree or disagree?
56. Would you rather live in a small apartment in the city center or a larger house an hour's commute away? Explain.
57. A professor asks: Should public transportation be free for all residents and paid for through taxes? Discuss the benefits and the costs.
58. Would you prefer a neighborhood full of small independent shops or one with a large shopping mall nearby? Why?
59. A professor asks: An empty parking lot downtown could become a park, affordable housing or a sports center. Which option should the city choose?
60. Murals and other street art make a neighborhood more attractive and should be encouraged. Agree or disagree?
61. Would you rather rent your home for flexibility or buy one for stability? Explain.
62. A professor asks: Should visitors pay a daily fee to enter very crowded historic city centers?
63. Local governments should let residents vote directly on large construction projects. Agree or disagree?
64. Would you rather live in a building where residents share a garden and kitchen or one where everyone keeps to themselves? Explain.
65. A professor asks: Should cities limit short-term vacation rentals to keep housing affordable for the people who live there?
66. Public libraries are still necessary even though most information is available online. Agree or disagree?

Environment and nature

67. Supermarkets should be required to donate unsold food instead of throwing it away. Agree or disagree?
68. Would you rather buy a few expensive clothes that last for years or more inexpensive clothes you replace often? Explain.
69. A professor asks: Which does more to protect the environment, changes in personal habits or new government regulations? Take a position.
70. Airlines should charge more for short flights on routes where a train can make the same trip. Agree or disagree?
71. When a device breaks, would you rather repair it yourself, pay someone to fix it or buy a new one? Explain.
72. A professor asks: Should schools grow some of the vegetables served in their cafeterias? Consider the cost, the time and what students would learn.
73. Eating less meat is the most effective thing one person can do for the environment. Agree or disagree?
74. Would you choose a home powered only by solar panels, even if it cost more, or one connected to the regular power grid? Why?
75. A professor asks: Should zoos continue to exist, or should that money go toward protecting animals in the wild?
76. Companies that sell single-use plastic products should pay for cleaning up plastic waste. Agree or disagree?
77. A professor asks: Is planting trees along city streets worth the cost compared with other environmental projects?
78. Towns should charge each household for garbage collection based on how much it throws away. Agree or disagree?

Travel and culture

79. Would you rather spend a week getting to know one city well or visit five cities in the same week? Explain.
80. Learning a few phrases of the local language is the most respectful thing a traveler can do. Agree or disagree?
81. A professor asks: Does international tourism help local cultures survive, or does it change them in harmful ways?
82. When you travel abroad, would you prefer to stay in a hotel or with a local host family? Why?
83. Taking photos throughout a trip makes people enjoy the experience less. Agree or disagree?
84. A professor asks: Should museums return historical objects to the countries they originally came from?
85. Would you rather live abroad for a year as a student or as a worker? Explain which would teach you more.
86. Watching films made in other countries is a good way to understand how people there see the world. Agree or disagree?
87. A professor asks: Should traditional festivals change to attract younger participants, or should they stay exactly as they have always been?
88. Would you rather visit a famous landmark that is always crowded or a little-known place that few tourists have heard of? Explain.

Health and lifestyle

89. Schools should start classes later in the morning so teenagers can get more sleep. Agree or disagree?
90. Would you rather exercise at a gym with a personal trainer or outdoors on your own? Explain.
91. A professor asks: Should sugary drinks be taxed as heavily as tobacco? Discuss both sides.
92. Tracking your steps, sleep and heart rate with a wearable device leads to healthier habits. Agree or disagree?
93. Would you prefer to learn cooking from family recipes or from online videos? Explain.
94. A professor asks: Should employers give workers paid days off specifically for mental health?
95. Having a hobby with no practical purpose is as important as learning useful skills. Agree or disagree?
96. Would you rather spend a free afternoon alone with a book or at a lively social event? Explain what your choice says about how you recharge.

Society and values

97. Young people should do one year of community service after finishing school. Agree or disagree?
98. A professor asks: Should voting be compulsory in national elections? Give reasons for your view.
99. Would you rather be known as someone who is extremely reliable or someone who is very creative? Explain.
100. A leader who admits a mistake in public becomes more trustworthy. Agree or disagree?
101. A professor asks: Should wealthy donors be allowed to put their names on university buildings?
102. Would you rather donate money to a large international charity or give your time to a local organization? Explain.
103. Celebrities have a responsibility to act as role models for young people. Agree or disagree?
104. A professor asks: Is it ever acceptable to break a rule you believe is unfair? Support your answer with an example.