Individuals can do nothing to improve the environment; only governments and large companies can make a difference. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
This response is estimated at Band 7.0. Can you write a better one?
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Sample Response
Environmental issues have become an increasing concern among individuals and governments in the modern world. Some people reject the role of individuals and argue that environmental protection can only be achieved by governmentsby the governments and large companiesbig businesses. I personally consider this to be a flawed argument, and I will explain my reasoning in the following essay.
In reality, governments and corporations take responsibility for protecting the environment. Governments could enact laws to reduce many environmental problems, while large companies are capable of investing large amounts of money in sustainable development initiativesgoals. However, all the policies and campaigns will haveshow no effect without the active participationcooperation of residents. In Vietnam, although the government tries to raise the public’s awareness of environmental issues and even imposes heavy fines on those who violate environmental laws, many beaches and the surrounding ecosystems have been badly polluted by the sheer number of visitors. Therefore, I believe that there needs to be more action taken byfrom individuals in such situations.
Furthermore, people’s combined actionsall the combined actions of all people will have a profound overall impactimpact on the bigger picture. Researchers have foundResearchers found that an individual will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by around 1500 pounds per year if he leaves his car at home two days a week. Another prime example is in waste management processes. While residents can spend just a few minutes separating their biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste, it takes days for waste recycling plants to achieve the same task.
In conclusion, I disagree with the opinion that the environmental problems can only be addressedenvironmental issues can only be reduced by governments and large enterprises because individuals also need to make a significant contribution to the process of keeping the planet clean. In other words, this matter can only be dealt with by simultaneous participation of governments, companies and residents.
Why this response received Band 7.0
The response presents a clear, consistent disagreement and supports it with relevant discussion of both institutional action and individual responsibility. Its main limitation is that some supporting claims, particularly the waste-processing comparison, are not fully convincing or precisely explained; the highest-priority improvement is to develop each example with a clearer causal link to the argument and more accurate wording.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The response maintains a clear position and develops relevant reasons showing why individual participation complements institutional action.
Explain the waste-management example more convincingly and show exactly how it proves the impact of individual behaviour.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas progress logically through well-focused paragraphs, with cohesive devices generally supporting the argument clearly.
Use transitions more precisely so each example follows naturally from the claim it is intended to support.
Lexical Resource
A varied environmental vocabulary conveys the argument effectively, though several collocations are awkward or imprecise.
Replace phrases such as 'show no effect' and 'action taken from individuals' with more natural, exact collocations.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A good range of complex structures is used with generally strong control and only occasional non-impeding errors.
Refine article, preposition, and agreement choices in longer sentences to improve grammatical precision.