TOEFL Speaking: How to Develop One Good Idea Into a Stronger Answer
This speaker has a relevant suggestion: listen to music while commuting. The answer also contains a personal reason. The journey provides listening time that is difficult to find at home.
The response earns 3.5/5 on My Speaking Score, with complete coverage. Its main opportunity is to express the existing idea more clearly and explain how music makes the journey enjoyable.
The question allows one or two suggestions. One activity can support the answer when the speaker develops the reasons behind it.
The question
“Interesting. Some people believe that commuting can be stressful and tiring. What do you think are one or two different ways to make commuting more enjoyable? Give reasons for your answer.”
This is question ten in the free Chicago test on My Speaking Score.
The task asks for an activity or approach that improves the commute, supported by reasons. The speaker can choose one way and explain it, or develop two different ways.
The response at a glance
| Measure | Result |
|---|---|
| MSS practice score | 3.5/5 |
| Word count | 79 words |
| Speaking pace | 105 words per minute |
| Coverage | Complete |
| Response window | 45 seconds |
The score shown is an MSS practice score, not an official TOEFL iBT® score.
The original response
“First, I don't think commuting is boring. I I will I used to uh listen music during the commuting. And first, I won't be available when to listen music when I'm home. I will do something more meaningful. And that's and during the commuting commuting time that is the only time for me to listen to music. And second, that's a way to chill and make me feel relaxed. So the commuting and for me, not a boring.”
The answer already contains a useful personal detail
Listening to music is a familiar suggestion. The personal explanation gives it more substance:
“During the commuting commuting time that is the only time for me to listen to music.”
The wording is awkward, but the intended point is understandable. The speaker uses time on the journey for an activity that rarely fits into life at home.
The answer then adds another reason: music helps the speaker chill and feel relaxed.
| Element | What the speaker provides |
|---|---|
| Suggested activity | Listen to music during the commute. |
| Personal reason | There is little opportunity to listen at home. |
| Emotional benefit | Music helps the speaker relax. |
These points give the speaker enough material to develop one suggestion. A completely new activity is unnecessary.
One activity can have two reasons
The speaker uses “first” and “second,” but both sections concern listening to music. They introduce different reasons for choosing the same activity.
That approach fits the prompt because the question permits one way to make commuting more enjoyable. The important task is to explain that way clearly.
The personal reason explains why the speaker values listening during the journey. The relaxation benefit explains how music can improve the experience.
A stronger answer connects those ideas so the listener can follow the activity, its personal relevance, and its effect.
The MSS Improved Version
“I don't think commuting is boring because there are ways to make it enjoyable. For example, I used to listen to music during my commute. I usually won't have time to listen to music when I'm home because I prefer to do something more meaningful there, like chores or spending time with family. Therefore, commuting time is the only time for me to listen to music. This is a great way to chill and make me relaxed before or after a long day. By focusing on my favorite songs, the travel time becomes a pleasant experience rather than a chore. For me, commuting is definitely not boring.”
How the improved answer develops the idea
The Improved Version retains music as the central activity and makes the relationship between the sentences clearer.
| Part of the answer | What it contributes |
|---|---|
| Music during the commute | Introduces a concrete activity. |
| Other priorities at home | Explains why listening time during travel is valuable. |
| Relaxation before or after a long day | Connects the activity to the experience of commuting. |
| Focusing on favorite songs | Explains how the journey can become more pleasant. |
The clearest development appears here:
“By focusing on my favorite songs, the travel time becomes a pleasant experience rather than a chore.”
This sentence explains how the activity affects the journey. Music gives the traveler something enjoyable to focus on.
The rewrite also adds chores and spending time with family as examples of home priorities. Those are additions to the original account. When practicing a personal answer, learners should use details that accurately reflect their own situation.
Clearer language makes the reason easier to follow
The original contains grammatical constructions that make the explanation harder to process. The Language Use feedback identifies “listen music” and the sentence about being unavailable to listen at home.
The Improved Version provides clearer wording for those ideas:
| Original wording | Wording in the Improved Version |
|---|---|
| “Listen music” | “Listen to music” |
| “During the commuting” | “During my commute” |
| “I won't be available when to listen music when I'm home” | “I usually won't have time to listen to music when I'm home” |
| “So the commuting and for me, not a boring” | “For me, commuting is definitely not boring” |
The correction “listen to music” is especially useful because the phrase appears repeatedly. Practicing it as a complete unit can support both accuracy and smoother delivery.
Delivery and development need separate attention
The response contains restarts such as “I I will I used to” and the repeated word “commuting.” The Fluency feedback describes frequent hesitations that interrupt the flow.
These interruptions help explain why a relevant idea occupies the response window without receiving much further development.
The Organization feedback asks the speaker to expand on why the activity makes commuting more enjoyable. The speaker already mentions relaxation, so the useful next step is to explain that benefit more fully.
Intelligibility is a strength. The feedback says individual words are easy to understand and pronunciation does not get in the way of the message. The difficulty lies in sentence construction and continuity rather than unclear individual sounds.
How to practice this answer
- Keep listening to music as the main suggestion.
- Explain why the commute provides a useful opportunity to listen.
- Develop how the music changes the experience of traveling.
- Practice complete phrases such as “listen to music during my commute.”
Use Follow Along inside Improved Version and adjust the playback speed to practice connected sentences. Then record the same idea independently, using personal details that fit your own life.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need two suggestions for this question?
No. The prompt asks for one or two ways. One relevant suggestion with developed reasons can address that instruction.
Is listening to music too ordinary an idea?
It directly answers the question. The quality of the explanation depends on showing why the activity helps and providing relevant detail.
Why is coverage complete if the response needs development?
The speaker identifies an activity and gives reasons related to enjoyment. The feedback separately identifies opportunities to explain those reasons more fully.
What is the difference between one activity and two reasons?
The activity is listening to music. Having time to enjoy it and feeling more relaxed are two reasons for choosing that activity.
What is the most useful language correction here?
Use “listen to music.” The preposition “to” is needed in this phrase.
What should the speaker add next?
Develop the relaxation benefit already mentioned. Explain how focusing on the music makes the journey more enjoyable.
Practice your own response
Take the free Chicago test at www.myspeakingscore.com. Review your transcript, coverage, and detailed feedback, then practice developing one relevant idea into a connected explanation.