duolingo english test essay

"Writing Sample" - Guide to Duolingo English Test Question (2024)

Many people consider the “Writing Sample” one of the most challenging questions on the Duolingo English Test. It's also confusing because it's not clear if it's graded or not (It is graded. More on that later.)

By the end of this post, you will see why the "Writing Sample" is easier than you think and you'll learn how to do well on it.

What is the “writing sample” question type, what is special about the "writing sample".

Tips to do well on the “Writing Sample” question

How to use the I LAST strategy to get a great score

How to practice the “writing sample” question.

The “Writing Sample” question looks like this:

Example of the "Writing Sample" from the Duolingo English Test

You will have 5 minutes to write about the topic provided. You have to write at least 50 words and for at least 3 minutes.

But, we recommend that you write at least 120 words . The reason is simple: If you don’t write enough, you won’t be able to get a high score. Later in the post we’re going to look at a strategy that will help you generate ideas and write 120 words.

Your response to this question counts toward your Literacy and Production subscores. It appears just one time on the test.

👉 To see examples of great Writing Samples, check out our other article: 10 High-Scoring Writing Samples

Your response to the "Writing Sample" will be sent along with your test scores. The recipients of your test scores will receive your response to the "Writing Sample" so that they can evaluate your writing themselves.

☝️Note that your "Writing Sample" is still scored and counts toward your subscores and overall score.

Tips to do well on the “Writing Sample" question

Read the question carefully.

This sounds obvious, but it is easy to misunderstand the question or miss important details during the test because you may be nervous or stressed. Slow down and read the question multiple times to make sure you understand it.

Plan your response

You will be given 30 seconds to read the prompt and prepare your answer. Use all of that time to plan your response. That way, you know what you are going to say and you can focus on writing.

Keep your response organized

A well-organized response will gain you a significant number of points. Here is a video in which you can learn a useful strategy for the Writing Sample:

Save time to proofread your answer

If your response has typos, missing words, or other easy-to-fix mistakes, it will be impossible to get a high score. That’s why it is crucial that you save time to proofread your response.

For the “Writing Sample”, we recommend that you stop writing when there are 60 seconds left and using the rest of your time to proofread your response.

But if you don't have 120 words when there is a minute left, you should keep writing until you get to 120 words then use your remaining time to proofread and edit.

The key to doing well on Production questions like this one is to use a strategy. The right strategy makes it easy to do all the things you need to do to get a high score.

For the “Writing Sample”, we recommend the I LAST strategy:

Identify : Identify the topic
List : List out the tasks Duolingo wants you to perform
Answer : Answer the question or state your viewpoint directly
Support : Support your answer
Three : Provide three examples

Let’s use I LAST in an example. Here is a topic provided by Duolingo:

Describe behaviors that are important for success in school. Why are these behaviors important? How would some of those behaviors help you? Use examples from personal experience and observations to explain your perspective.

Identify the topic ⇒ Behaviors that are important for success in school
List out the tasks Duolingo wants me to perform ⇒ Duolingo wants me to:
Describe behaviors that are important for success in school
Explain why those behaviors are important and how they help
Use examples and observations from personal experience
Answer the question or state your viewpoint directly ⇒ I'm going to start my answer with a sentence like the following that lists out the behaviors that I think are important: "I believe that the three most important behaviors for success in school are..."
Support your answer & Provide three examples ⇒ Now, I need to defend my answer. This is best done by providing examples. Three examples is the perfect amount.

Here is my full response:

I believe that the three most important behaviors for success in school are staying disciplined, persevering through setbacks, and being strategic.

First, success in school does not happen overnight. It's like the old adage, "Rome was not built in a day." In order to acquire new knowledge and gain new skills, you have to learn a little bit each day. This consistency requires discipline. In my personal experience, this principle was most important in my study of mathematics. I never had a big breakthrough with math. Rather, I learned it a little bit at a time.

Second, persevering through setbacks is also important. I did not get top marks on every single assignment. In fact, I often did poorly! But I never gave up. This enabled me to go from a bad mark on an assignment to a good mark on the exam, which, in turn, resulted in a high, final mark in the class.

Finally, you need to be strategic. You need to think about how you can get top marks. Which assignments or exams contribute the most to your overall grade? Which ones don't? Being strategic like this means that you can get maximum results for the efforts that you make.

Simply writing answers to practice “Writing Sample” questions won’t help you very much. To improve, you need feedback.

That's exactly what Arno provides 😁 We give you instant scoring and feedback about your grammar and vocabulary. Let's see why it's such a great way to prepare for the DET.

1) Go to duolingo.goarno.io . If you don’t already have one, just create a free account.

2) Click on the “Writing Sample” question type.

3) Go through the steps of I LAST and type in your response.

4) When “1:15” (75 seconds) remains on the timer, review your response. Look for obvious mistakes like typos and missing words first, then make other edits.

Example of a Writing Sample practice question in Arno

5) Once you submit your response, Arno will give you a score. You can also see the different kinds of feedback, like on your grammar.

6) To understand why something was incorrect, just click "Explain why".

Arno's explanation of why something was grammatically incorrect

7) Look at the other kinds of feedback Arno provides. Make note of any grammar mistakes you made, suggestions for better vocabulary words, and any ideas for how you can write better by emulating the rewritten version.

Vocabulary Tips and the Rewritten Version feedback in Arno

7) Click the right arrow at the bottom to proceed to the next question. In Arno, there are unlimited practice questions!

How to move to the next question in Arno

Now you have a complete understanding of the "Writing Sample," and, more importantly, you know how to do well on it. By using Arno to practice with the I LAST strategy, you can get great at this question!

Arno is a great way to practice not just the “Writing Sample” question but all question types on the Duolingo English Test! To get started, just click below.

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The Duolingo English Test Writing Section

The Duolingo English Test® Writing Section?

All right, all right, you caught me.

There is no “writing section” for the Duolingo English Test like there is for the TOEFL iBT or the IELTS.

However, there are three writing question types on the Duolingo English Test that require you to write for an extended period of time.

Write About the Photo
Interactive Writing
Writing Sample

Even though you are not required to write a full essay for the Duolingo English Test, you still have to showcase your writing.

And even worse, if you follow the directions on the test, you will struggle to score higher than 120 in your production score. Yikes!

But don’t worry…

You will know exactly how to earn a high writing score on test day by the end of this brief article.

We are going to take a look at:

Sample questions for each writing question
Sample responses for Write About the Photo
Provide a step-by-step guide to grading your writing

Before we start, if you are in a hurry and would like free AI feedback on your DET Writing, make a free account today. No credit card required.

Duolingo English Test Writing Question: A Quick Introduction

Before we dive into the sample answers, let’s take a quick step back and make sure you know what the writing questions will look like on test day.

The Write About the Photo question will present an image and provide you with 60 seconds to write about it. You will have three of these questions on the exam. The directions are always the same, “ Write one or more sentences that describe the image. ” Aim to write more.

Here is an example image of this particular question type courtesy of Duolingo .

The Interactive Writing question type replaced the Read, then Write question type in May 2024.

There will be only one of this question type on test day and it is divided into two parts. In part one, you will have five minutes to write and in part two you will have three minutes to write.

It begins with a question about your opinion or asks you for a description, which you will write about for five minutes. After that, it will ask you a follow-up question related to the first question, and you will have three minutes to write.

Let’s look at a few examples:

Part 1 : Describe your favorite teacher. What qualities did you respect most?

Part 2 : Do you think you would like to be a teacher in the future? Explain why or why not.

Example #2

Part 1 : Choose one of the following inventions: the car, the telephone, or the microwave. Explain some of the ways it has changed people’s lives.

Part 2 : Can you provide specific examples of how this invention has had a positive impact on people’s lives?

As you can see, part two often asks to further explain your answer in part one or ask to provide more specific examples.

Don’t worry about the topic. While you may have more to say about some questions than others, the question is usually about something you can relate to and have an opinion on. Here is a list of a few of the most common topics:

Health and wellness
Educational styles
Parenting styles
Technology and the future
Using technology
Influential people

Here’s how this question will look on test day:

Writing Sample questions require longer responses. You can think of this question type as a mini-essay. You will have five minutes to write at least 50 words. Even though you only need to write 50 words, aim to have a response of at least 100 words. When you write more, you showcase a broader range of vocabulary and grammar, which will have a positive impact on your score.

Writing Sample questions ask for your opinion on a subject or a description of a topic. These questions may also ask you to share a past experience. Here are a couple of examples:

Opinion (general topic) – “Many parents will take away a child’s phone as punishment for bad behavior. Do you support or oppose this idea? Explain why.”
Describe (general topic) – “Describe current technology used in schools. Which technology is most important in the classroom? Explain with details and examples.”
Describe (personal experience) – “Think about someone who has encouraged you in life. How have they encouraged you? Give specific examples.”

Like the Interactive Writing question, try not to worry about the topic, it will be related to your one personal experience or opinion.

And in case you are wondering, here is how the question will look on the exam.

To help make your life easier (or more difficult, I’m not sure which one), I have laid out the various question types along with some sample questions, typical wording, and popular topics in this one table.

Write About the Photo: 2 Sample Questions and Answers

I know, I know, you came here for sample answers and I haven’t delivered yet!

All right, here they are. Let’s start with eight sample questions for Write About the Photo. You might also want to set a timer for 60 seconds and try to write a response for each yourself before looking at the samples.

Here we go:

Example #1:

Write one or more sentences that describe the image. You have one minute

I see an enormous yellow and brown fish being held by a man in a red shirt. The man is looking at the fish with pride. I think he has just returned from a fishing trip and wanted to take a picture with the fish he caught.

Teacher Feedback: The length of the response is good and there are no grammatical errors or typos. Some of the vocabulary is repeated, like the word “fish” and various colors. This response would be stronger with a wider vocabulary.

Example #2:

In this picture, I see a woman wearing black clothing sitting on a blanket with what appears to be bags that she made herself. I think she is trying to sell some of her bags to the man sitting in front of her.

Teacher Feedback: Good use of making an inference here with the phrase “I think”. Also, I like that the writer began with the phrase “in this picture” since it sounds natural and also provides the opportunity to include a comma.

One extra note before I move on to the next question type:

All of these answers are long.

Do not worry if you can not write this much in 60 seconds. These are examples of the ideal amount to write. Rest assured, you can still score well while writing less.

Interactive Writing: 1 Sample Question and Answer

Now let’s take a look at an example of the Interactive Writing question.

Part 1 : Choose one of the following inventions: the car, the telephone, or the microwave. Explain some of the ways it has changed people’s lives.

Nowadays, most people agree that the telephone has had a tremendous impact on our lives. First of all, phones have evolved over time, and now almost every person on Earth carries one wherever they go. This new technology has totally transformed the work environment because most jobs require employees to be on call outside the office. Additionally, interactions between friends and family members have changed. Most people can not sustain a long conversation without checking the notifications on their phone every minute. While the car and microwave have impacted our world today, no other invention can quite match the massive effect the telephone has had on our lives.

One specific way the telephone has had a positive impact on people’s lives is by allowing them to connect with friends and loved ones around the world, no matter where they are located. One particular example that comes to mind is from my own personal experience. I am from America, but I currently live in Japan and rely on the telephone to stay in touch with the people I love back in the States.

Teacher Feedback : This response is excellent. The test-taker went way beyond the minimum word count and answered every part of the question. She stayed on topic and had a limited number of grammar or spelling mistakes. The personal example about living in Japan whole being from America worked well, providing her response with a clear structure that had a beginning, middle, and end. This is a near-perfect example.

Writing Sample: 1 Sample Question and Answer

Writing is exciting, right?

I know, I know. We are almost done.

Let’s just take a quick look at a sample question and answer for the Writing Sample question, the last question on the test.

Describe your favorite teacher. What qualities did you respect most?

Over the years, I have attended many classes and had different types of teachers. One teacher who stands out in my mind as the best teacher I have ever had was my high school history teacher. He was extremely compassionate and would hold study sessions before tests to help students who may have been struggling during a unit. His lectures were engaging, and he kept the students gripped with intrigue as he taught. Furthermore, he always made sure that there were hands-on projects to help us further understand the material. I remember one time we were learning about the House of Representatives and the Senate, so he turned the classroom into Congress to help us understand how it worked. I still think about that project every time I hear about politics in America today. He was so dedicated to making sure his students found success.

Teacher Feedback : This is another excellent response with a bunch of advanced vocabulary. Phrases like “House of Representatives,” “extremely compassionate,” and “gripped with intrigue” showcase intricate understanding of the English language. This example is also well-formatted with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion.

DET Writing Section Summary

You know by now that the Duolingo English Test does not have a writing section, but it does have a couple of specific questions that require you to write.

Besides learning about the questions, you have also read a few examples of high-scoring responses so you know exactly what to do on the day of the exam.

Now it is time for you to actually practice writing your own responses. Use the grading rubric tables below to help you start and check your own writing today. Sign up for your free account with more example questions and answers .

Cue the applause.

Seriously, there are a million other things you could be doing besides preparing for the DET, so be proud of yourself and keep it up.

Don’t forget to sign up for your free account today at TST Prep and gain access to over 400 additional free practice questions for the Duolingo English Test.

Thanks again for reading and drop a comment below if you have any follow-up questions.

Keep studying

Thank you, I appreciate it, it was really helpful.