Some people think that public health is the responsibility of the government, while others believe that individuals should be responsible for their own health. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Sample Response
Who should bear the primary responsibility for public health has long been a subject of debate. While some argue that the government must safeguardgovernment has to safeguard public health, others contend that individuals should take responsibility for their well-beingtake personal responsibility for their own well-being. This essay will discuss both perspectives before presenting an opinion in favour of government-backed public health policiespolicy.
Proponents of individual responsibility for public health argue that individuals should take charge of their health by making informed lifestyle choices and adopting healthy behaviours. They emphasise the importance of personal accountability for dietary choices, exercise, and preventive carepersonal accountability for diet, exercise, and preventive measures such as regular medical check-ups. For example, individuals have the autonomy to choose nutritious foodsfood, engage in physical activity, and avoid risky behaviours such as smoking or excessive alcohol consumption. By taking proactive measures to maintain their health, individuals can reduce the burden on public healthcare systems and support their own well-beingcontribute to their own well-being.
On the other hand, those who believe that public health is the responsibility of the government assert that the government possessesassert that it possesses the resources, authority, and capacity to implement policies and initiatives that promote population healthpromote the well-being of the population. Governments can establish healthcare systems, enact public health regulations, and allocate funding for disease prevention and health promotion programmes. For instance, many countries have implemented national vaccination campaigns to protect their populations from infectious diseases. These initiatives are coordinated and funded by the government to ensure widespread immunisationimmunization coverage, thereby preventing the spread of contagious illnesses. Additionally, governments can regulate industries that pose health risks, such as the tobacco and fast-food industriessuch as tobacco and fast food, through legislation and taxation, aiming to reduce the prevalence of harmful habits and promote healthier choices.
In conclusion, the government has a greater responsibility as it can provide the necessary infrastructure, regulations, and support, and can create a society where public health is safeguarded, and individuals are empowered to lead healthier lives. Personal awareness is important, butPersonal awareness is important but state initiatives and policies have greater influence in promotinggreater influences on promoting public health.
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response is strongest in its direct coverage of both positions, using well-chosen examples of personal behaviour, vaccination, and regulation to support a clear preference for government leadership. The main limitation is that the conclusion is syntactically crowded and the individual-responsibility side could be evaluated a little more critically. Refine the comparison between the two sides and edit the final sentences for greater precision and control.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both views are directly and well developed, and the preference for greater government responsibility is clear and supported throughout.
Strengthen the evaluation by explaining more explicitly why government capacity outweighs the case for individual autonomy.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas are logically sequenced in focused paragraphs, with cohesive devices supporting clear progression rather than distracting from it.
Make the transition from discussion to final judgement slightly sharper by explicitly synthesising the two responsibilities.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is flexible, precise, and well suited to public health policy, with only minor repetition and occasional imprecision.
Vary repeated references to public health and choose a more precise expression than greater influences in the conclusion.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex structures is used accurately, with only minor lapses in the final paragraph.
Split the long concluding sentence and check subject-verb agreement to preserve accuracy at the end.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Some people think that public health is the responsibility of the government, while others believe that individuals should be responsible for their own health. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.