The environmental problems that today's world is facing are so great that there is little ordinary people can do to improve the situation. So governments and large organizations should be responsible for reducing the amount of damage being done to the environment. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Sample Response
Governments, environmentalists and large organisations, in many countries, are trying to curb environmental problems, and a part of this effort is to make people aware of environmental issues. It is surprising how our dietary habits or even the dresses we wear can all contribute to environmental problems. So, without involving ordinary citizens, government bodies and private organisations can not reverse the downward fall when it comes to the environment.
To commence with, without creating awareness among ordinary citizens, it is impossible to achieve environmental protection. We, as ordinary citizens, are constantly contributing to global warming, pollution and climate change. To illustrate, the cars we drive exhaust carbon dioxide, the dresses we wear require a large amount of fibres and water, the plastic bags we use end up in the water, and even the diets we follow can impact the climate. Thus, if people are not cognizant of their actions that are directly or indirectly responsible for global warming, they will not fully comprehend the gravity of the intricacies and feel responsible. Climate change is so big a problem that only governments and large organizations can not work to find a solution, and a coordinated effort is required.
It is undeniable that countries have taken serious steps to curb environmental problems, and our leaders meet frequently to discuss it. Restrictions are in place on gas emissions, fossil fuel use, plastic production and use, and alternative sources of green energy are being invested upon. But if the efforts are not made at an individual level, the magnitude of damage and pollution would far outstrip the efforts. To cite an example, scientists, engineers, environmentalists and the authority may come out with proposals and invest money in research, but they can not control the amount of plastic bags we use and throw away without recycling. Every environmental problem is related to our human lifestyle and unconsciousness, so it is high time to include the syllabus about environmental protection in our school. We have got only one planet to live on, and we must save it.
In conclusion, whatever we do to the environment will return and affect us. So all levels of education should emphasize how we can be more responsible in protecting it. A joint approach by the authority and mass people can only make it happen.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Remove interrupting commas Original: large organisations, in many countries, are Suggested revision: large organisations in many countries are Why it matters: The location phrase directly identifies the organisations and does not need parenthetical commas.
- 2. Use the correct general noun Original: dresses Suggested revision: clothes Why it matters: 'Clothes' is the natural general term for garments people wear.
- 3. Use a natural verb Original: private organisations can not reverse Suggested revision: private organisations cannot halt Why it matters: The revision uses the conventional form 'cannot' and the natural verb 'halt' for stopping a decline.
- 4. Use a concise term Original: the downward fall when it comes to the environment Suggested revision: environmental decline Why it matters: 'Downward fall' is redundant, and the final phrase is vague.
- 5. Use a direct verb Original: achieve environmental protection Suggested revision: protect the environment Why it matters: The direct verb phrase is more natural and concise.
- 6. Use the correct emissions verb Original: exhaust Suggested revision: emit Why it matters: Vehicles emit gases; 'exhaust' does not have that meaning as a verb here.
- 7. Use the correct general noun Original: dresses Suggested revision: clothes Why it matters: 'Clothes' is the natural term for garments in this context.
- 8. Use a plural quantifier Original: a large amount of fibres Suggested revision: large quantities of fibres Why it matters: The plural countable noun 'fibres' requires a count-compatible quantifier.
- 9. State the intended meaning Original: gravity of the intricacies Suggested revision: seriousness of these effects Why it matters: The original phrase combines nouns that do not express the environmental consequences clearly.
- 10. Use a stronger collocation Original: feel responsible Suggested revision: accept responsibility Why it matters: 'Accept responsibility' expresses recognition of one's contribution more precisely.
- 11. Use formal wording Original: so big a problem Suggested revision: such a significant problem Why it matters: The replacement is more appropriate for formal academic prose.
- 12. Match the plural reference Original: it Suggested revision: them Why it matters: The pronoun refers to the plural 'environmental problems'.
Suggested Rewrites
- large organisations, in many countries, are large organisations in many countries are
- dresses clothes
- private organisations can not reverse private organisations cannot halt
- the downward fall when it comes to the environment environmental decline
- achieve environmental protection protect the environment
- exhaust emit
Why this response received Band 7.0
The response presents a clear and well-supported case for shared responsibility, illustrating how individual consumption contributes to environmental harm and why institutional action alone is insufficient. Its main limitation is recurrent awkward or imprecise wording within otherwise strong development; the priority is to refine environmental collocations and organise the second body paragraph around one focused explanation of how policy and personal behaviour interact.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The response directly challenges the claim and develops a convincing joint-responsibility position through relevant examples of individual and institutional action.
Explain one specific mechanism through which government policy can change individual behaviour, rather than adding the less developed curriculum proposal.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas progress logically through individual responsibility and coordinated action, with clear paragraphing despite some crowded development in the second body paragraph.
Keep the second body paragraph focused on how public policy depends on individual compliance and move education into a separate, fully developed point or omit it.
Lexical Resource
A broad environmental vocabulary supports the argument, but recurrent awkward combinations reduce precision and naturalness.
Use phrases such as reverse environmental decline, emit carbon dioxide, invest in renewable energy, lack of awareness, and the general public.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Varied complex structures are generally accurate and clear, although some passive forms, negation patterns, and noun phrases are awkward.
Review passive constructions and place limiting words carefully, especially in statements about what governments alone cannot achieve.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
The environmental problems that today's world is facing are so great that there is little ordinary people can do to improve the situation. So governments and large organizations should be responsible for reducing the amount of damage being done to the environment. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.