Environmental problems are becoming a global issue, and therefore, some people suggest that environmental problems should be solved on a global scale. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Sample Response
[Disgreement]
In recent years, the idea that environmental problems should be addressed on a global scale has gained significant support. However, I strongly disagree with this notion as I believe that tackling environmental issues at the national and local levels can be more effective. Individual governments can implement immediate policies suited to their unique environmental challenges, while local communities can take proactive measures that lead to significant and lasting change.
Firstly, addressing environmental concerns at the national level allows for swift and tailored responses to specific problems. Different regions face distinct ecological challenges, and a one-size-fits-all global approach may not be practical. For instance, desertification is a pressing issue in African nations, while rising sea levels threaten island countries like the Maldives. Governments understand their own environmental crises best and can implement policies suited to their economic and social conditions.
Moreover, local initiatives often bring quicker and more visible results than waiting for international consensus. Community-based projects, such as afforestation programmes, waste management initiatives, and clean energy adoption, can lead to immediate improvements in environmental conditions. For example, India’s "Clean Ganga" project has successfully reduced industrial waste dumping in the river by enforcing strict national laws, something that would have been difficult to achieve through slow-moving global agreements. When people witness the direct benefits of such actions, they are more likely to participate, fostering a culture of sustainability at the grassroots level.
In conclusion, while international cooperation is valuable, solving environmental issues at the local and national levels is far more efficient and practical. Governments can swiftly implement policies suited to their needs, and community-driven initiatives can bring immediate results. Therefore, rather than relying on global solutions, nations should focus on empowering local efforts to achieve meaningful environmental change.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Remove the planning label Original: [Disgreement] Suggested revision: Delete Why it matters: This misspelled planning label should not appear in the finished essay.
- 2. Use a direct reason connector Original: as I believe that Suggested revision: because I believe Why it matters: Because expresses the reason directly without the wordy as I believe that structure.
- 3. Clarify speed and suitability Original: implement immediate policies suited to their unique environmental challenges Suggested revision: promptly implement policies suited to their unique environmental challenges Why it matters: Promptly modifies the action more naturally than immediate modifies policies.
- 4. Place the adverb naturally Original: Governments understand their own environmental crises best Suggested revision: Governments best understand their own environmental crises Why it matters: Best normally precedes the main verb in this construction.
- 5. Use a parallel noun phrase Original: clean energy adoption Suggested revision: the adoption of clean energy Why it matters: The revised noun phrase aligns more clearly with the other project types in the list.
- 6. Fix noun and direction Original: industrial waste dumping in the river Suggested revision: the dumping of industrial waste into the river Why it matters: The noun phrase needs an article, and into shows movement to the river.
- 7. Clarify the reference Original: something that would have been difficult to achieve Suggested revision: an outcome that would have been difficult to achieve Why it matters: An outcome clearly refers to the reduction in waste dumping.
- 8. Specify the participation Original: they are more likely to participate Suggested revision: they are more likely to participate in similar initiatives Why it matters: The added object makes the intended form of participation explicit.
- 9. Use the natural collocation Original: bring Suggested revision: produce Why it matters: Produce results is the standard academic collocation.
- 10. Sentence rewrite Original: Moreover, local initiatives often bring quicker and more visible results than waiting for international consensus. Suggested revision: Moreover, local initiatives often produce quicker and more visible results than measures delayed by the need for international consensus. Why it matters: The rewrite compares initiatives with measures rather than incorrectly comparing them with the act of waiting.
Suggested Rewrites
- [Disgreement] Delete
- as I believe that because I believe
- implement immediate policies suited to their unique environmental challenges promptly implement policies suited to their unique environmental challenges
- Governments understand their own environmental crises best Governments best understand their own environmental crises
- clean energy adoption the adoption of clean energy
- industrial waste dumping in the river the dumping of industrial waste into the river
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response directly and fully develops a clear preference for national and local action, using well-chosen contrasts and specific examples to show why tailored policies and community initiatives can be effective. Its only notable limitation is that the value of international cooperation is acknowledged briefly rather than examined, making the conclusion slightly more absolute than the reasoning. The best refinement is to distinguish problems requiring cross-border coordination from those best handled locally.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The response fully addresses the question with a clear, well-supported position, developed reasons, and relevant examples, while briefly acknowledging international cooperation.
Refine the position by identifying one genuinely transnational problem and explaining why coordination can complement, rather than replace, the preferred national and local action.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas progress smoothly from tailored national responses to faster community action and a focused conclusion, with well-managed paragraphing and cohesive links.
Create an even stronger comparison by linking the brief concession about international cooperation directly to the two preceding levels of action.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is wide, precise, and natural across environmental policy and community action, with effective expressions such as "international consensus" and "grassroots level."
Maintain this strong control while removing the misspelled planning label and avoiding any unnecessary repetition of immediate results and policies.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex structures is used accurately and flexibly, with clear clause control and only rare minor slips that do not affect communication.
Preserve this accuracy while using one more nuanced concessive sentence to define the complementary role of global cooperation.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Environmental problems are becoming a global issue, and therefore, some people suggest that environmental problems should be solved on a global scale. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.