Planting trees is very important for the environment. Some people say that the government should take responsibility for planting trees while others opine that it is the responsibility of the citizens to plant trees in their houses. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Sample Response

1

Planting trees plays a vital role in safeguarding the environment and mitigating the effects of climate change. However, opinions differ on who should bear responsibility for tree plantingbear the responsibility of tree planting. Some argue that it should be the government's duty, while others contend that individuals should take responsibility for planting treestake ownership of tree planting in their own homes. This essay will examine both viewpoints and argue that a collective effort involving both the government and citizens is necessary to achieve a meaningful environmental impactmeaningful environmental impact.

2

One argument in favour of the government taking responsibility for tree planting is its capacity to implement large-scale afforestation projects. Governments have the resources, funding, and authority to initiate and oversee ambitious reforestation programmes that can significantly increase the amount of green cover in a regionthe green cover in a region. For example, in many countries, governments have successfully launchedthe government has successfully launched tree plantation initiatives in deforested areas, such as the Great Green Wall project in Africa. Such efforts require coordination, planning, and expertisecoordination, planning and expertise that can best be managedcould be best executed by the government.

3

While government intervention is crucial, individual responsibility for tree planting is equally important. Citizens can contribute by planting trees on their own properties, such as backyards or rooftops. This decentralised approach allows trees to be planted widelyallows for the widespread distribution of trees across communities, increasing local green spaces and fostering a sense of environmental stewardship. For instance, many urban dwellers have initiated community-driven tree-planting projects, creating small pockets of greenery in heavily built-up areasconcrete jungles. Additionally, individual participation in planting treesindividual participation in tree planting promotes a sense of ownership and personal connection to the environment.

4

In conclusion, both the government and citizens should shoulder the responsibility of tree planting. The government can drive large-scale initiatives and establish policies that incentivize tree planting, while individuals can contribute by planting trees in their own spaces. By combining the resources and efforts of both the government and citizens, we can create a greener and more sustainable futurea more sustainable and greener future for our planet.

Overall assessment

Why this response received Band 8.5

The essay fully examines both positions and sustains a nuanced view that governments and citizens should share responsibility, with each role developed through scale, resources, local distribution, and ownership. Its strongest aspect is the balanced structure linking distinct capacities to a collective outcome, supported by relevant examples. Only minor refinement is needed: make the government example more specific and distinguish household planting from community projects slightly more sharply while preserving the concise, polished argument.

Band score breakdown

IELTS Writing Criteria Scores

TR

Task Response

8.5
Scoring rule

Both views and the writer’s collective-responsibility position are fully addressed through relevant, well-extended reasoning and examples.

Next step

Clarify how government incentives or planning could enable citizens who lack suitable private space to participate.

CC

Coherence and Cohesion

8.5
Scoring rule

The introduction, paired body paragraphs, and conclusion create seamless progression, with each paragraph centred on one clearly differentiated responsibility.

Next step

Strengthen the synthesis by linking government policy support to the citizen-led activities described in the third paragraph.

LR

Lexical Resource

8.5
Scoring rule

Vocabulary is precise and flexible across afforestation, reforestation, green cover, stewardship, decentralisation, incentives, and environmental impact.

Next step

Maintain this precision while varying repeated references to tree planting with reforestation, greening, or planting initiatives where accurate.

GRA

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

8.5
Scoring rule

A wide range of complex structures is used accurately and naturally, with only rare minor opportunities for refinement.

Next step

Keep collective nouns and number consistent in examples, such as governments have launched initiatives or a government has launched an initiative.

Put the feedback to work

Write this task while it is fresh

Try the same task now. It helps you remember the feedback and write better next time.

IELTS Writing Task 2

Planting trees is very important for the environment. Some people say that the government should take responsibility for planting trees while others opine that it is the responsibility of the citizens to plant trees in their houses. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Your response

Words0
40:00

Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.