Some think the current generation should take steps to protect the environment for the next generation. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Sample Response
Many environmentalists feel that people today have a responsibility to ensure the Earth is left in good condition for future generations. In my opinion, though this duty is unfair, it is nonetheless a burden that must be taken up.
Those who argue against this sentiment can justly assign blame elsewhere. The main contributors to climate change and the current warnings of catastrophecurrent cataclysmic warnings were the large industrial powers inon the 20th century. Automobiles and air travel became common in the last 100 years and are two leading drivers of fossil fuel consumptiontwo leading drivers of the fossil fuel consumption many scientists link to global warming. Surging populations and advances in medicine have also contributed greatly to the excessive productionover-production and mass consumption that defines the 21st century. It is objectively unfair that people today, and primarily the younger generation only now entering the workforce, should have to suffer for the recklessness of unrestrained industrialisationthoughtlessness of wanton industrialisation.
Regardless, it is the responsibility of the present generation to take heed of these potentially dire warnings. People in the past were unawareeither intentionally or unintentionally unaware of the repercussions of their actions but individuals today cannot make such excuses. For example, the rapidly deteriorating polar ice caps are directly affectingimpacting the natural habitats of animals around the world and some climate scientists believe that an uptick in natural disasters is also related to these and other human-induced changesrelated to this and other man-made changes to the ecosystem. Past generations who set the world on this path cannot return to remedycannot come back and remedy their mistakes and future generations will resent the current one if drastic reforms are not implementedsteps are not taken towards drastic reforms.
In conclusion, though people today bear little responsibility for climate change, they must commit to mitigatingreversing its effects. Leaving this problem for the children of the future will put them in a potentially unwinnable situation.
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response presents a clear, nuanced position and develops it through a well-controlled contrast between historical responsibility and present-day obligation. Its reasoning is persuasive and supported by relevant environmental examples, while the main limitation is that a few claims are broad and one or two expressions are slightly inaccurate. The priority is to sharpen factual and grammatical precision while preserving the essay's focused argument and fluent progression.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The response fully answers the extent question with a clear qualified agreement that is consistently developed and supported.
Strengthen the argument further by making the proposed nature of the present generation's action slightly more concrete.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas progress logically across well-focused paragraphs, and cohesive devices guide the contrast without drawing attention to themselves.
Make the transition from historical responsibility to current obligation even tighter by explicitly linking the final sentence of the first body paragraph to the next claim.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is wide-ranging, precise, and natural overall, with strong control of environmental and argumentative language.
Refine the few less precise combinations, particularly the reference to 'cataclysmic warnings' and the phrasing around fossil-fuel consumption.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex structures is used accurately and flexibly, with only rare non-impeding errors.
Eliminate isolated slips such as 'on the 20th century' and check punctuation where long coordinated clauses meet.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Some think the current generation should take steps to protect the environment for the next generation. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.