This is the second writing question on the TOEFL iBT Test. Get more samples here.
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Your professor is teaching a class on economics. Write a post responding to the professor’s question. In your response, you should
- express and support your personal opinion
- make a contribution to the discussion in your own words
An effective response will contain at least 100 words.
Professor: Today, we’re going to discuss whether the government should impose price controls on essential goods, such as housing, food, and medicine. On one hand, price controls can make necessities more affordable for everyone. On the other hand, critics argue that price controls can lead to shortages and inefficiencies. If you had to choose, would you support or oppose price controls? Why?
Sam: I support price controls because they ensure basic needs like housing and medicine remain affordable. For example, rent control prevents excessive rents in expensive cities, which helps low-income families a lot. While critics worry about shortages of apartments and houses, the government can address this by subsidizing new construction so that there is a balance affordability and availability.
Tanya: I oppose price controls because they often harm quality. Rent control, for instance, can discourage landlords from maintaining properties because of the cost. Instead of controlling prices, I think it is better to provide subsidies or targeted financial aid so that people can more easily afford essentials. If we give help only to people that actually need it, there is less chance that our actions will lead to unexpected and undesirable outcomes.
Sample Answer
In my opinion, it’s probably a good idea to control the prices of some goods. I strongly agree with Sam’s idea that this will ensure that people can access basic needs. I’d add that due to current economic conditions, many parents have trouble buying healthy food for their kids. This will be less of a problem if we reduce prices. In the long run, this will pay off as the kids will grow up to be productive members of society. Tanya mentioned that there could be unexpected outcomes, but she didn’t mention that price controls have been used successfully in the past. For example, the prices of essential medicines are already controlled by the government and there have been no problems related to safety and quality so far.
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