Development in technology causes environmental problems. Some people believe the solution to these problems is everyone accepts a simpler way of life, while others say that technology can solve these problems. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Sample Response
People have argued about the negative effectseffect of technology on the environment. Some peopleA group of people think that rather than embracing technological developmentrather than following the development of technology, we should have a simpler way of life. However, others disagree as they believe that technology could address environmental issues. On the one hand, it is undeniable that the rapid development of technology has caused some environmental problems. Many inventions are beneficial for human beings, but they have a catastrophic effect on the environment. For example, the invention of cars that use fossil fuelsfuel has caused some serious effectseffect on the world. CarsThe cars produce carbon monoxide which is not only dangerous to living creatures but also becomeswhich is not only dangerous for living creatures, but it also becomes a major contributor to global warmingthe main cause of global warming. Therefore, some people believe that we should adopt a simpler lifestylechange our lifestyle into a simpler one. One of the ways is by using environmentally friendly transporta friendly environmental transportation such as using a bicycle to commute. The bicycle is not only safe for the environment, but it could also be used as a formway of exercise. On the other hand, other people believe that technology could be used as a way to resolve environmental problems. One example is thatAs we can see that one of the biggest threatsthreat to the earth’s civilisation is the use of plastic bagsthe usage of the plastic bag. The waste of plastic bags has become a big issue, as they could only be composed for about 100 years. However, with the new technology, scientists have found a new way of producing plastic bags. With the new formula, plastic bags could be recycled; therefore, this could help addresstherefore it would resolve one of the environmental issues. In my opinion, I do believe that technology is beneficial for human beings if we useused it wisely and proportionately. I personally believe that research intofor new technology should be continued, as we need to improve our liveshave improvements in life, but the government should review and monitor this research properly.
Why this response received Band 6.5
The essay addresses both proposed solutions and gives a clear preference for continued, regulated technological development, using cars, bicycles, and plastics as relevant examples. Its main limitation is accuracy and language control: the environmental claims are oversimplified, the plastic example is unclear, and frequent grammatical and collocational errors reduce precision. Prioritise explaining one credible technology-based solution accurately and presenting the discussion in distinct paragraphs.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both views are addressed and the preference for carefully regulated technology is clear, but the supporting examples are somewhat simplistic or technically unclear.
Develop one accurate example, such as renewable energy or biodegradable materials, and explicitly compare its effectiveness with lifestyle reduction.
Coherence and Cohesion
The response has a logical overall sequence and clear contrast markers, but the lack of paragraphing and mechanical linking weaken organisation.
Use separate introduction, simpler-lifestyle, technology-solution, and opinion paragraphs, with each example tied directly to its central claim.
Lexical Resource
The vocabulary is adequate for the topic, though frequent inaccurate collocations and word choices reduce precision despite generally clear meaning.
Use forms such as ‘environmentally friendly transport’, ‘a form of exercise’, ‘plastic waste’, ‘decompose’, and ‘technological innovation’.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A range of sentence forms is attempted, but article, number, agreement, clause, and conditional errors occur frequently throughout.
Correct structures such as ‘serious effects’, ‘one of the biggest threats’, ‘plastic takes years to decompose’, and ‘if we use it wisely’.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Development in technology causes environmental problems. Some people believe the solution to these problems is everyone accepts a simpler way of life, while others say that technology can solve these problems. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.