Some people think that the main benefit of international cooperation is in the protection of the environment, while others believe that businesses mainly benefit. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Sample Response
Many today argue that international collaboration mainly benefits businessesmainly serves to benefit businesses while others feel there are greater overall benefits for the environmentgreater advantages overall for the environment. I would side with the former viewpoint due to the tangible outcomesconcrete and tangible outcomes.
Proponents of the environmental benefits of international cooperation emphasize the global challenges being addressed through collective actionnow being met by collective action. Climate change, for instance, is a quintessential example of an issue transcending national borders. The 2015 Paris Agreement, which saw nearly 200 countries commit to limiting global temperature rise, illustrates how international cooperation tackles environmental crises. This agreement, borne out of multilateral negotiations, demonstrates how countries now work together to implement emissions-reduction measuresimplement emission reduction targets, promote sustainable development, and support climate resilience efforts in vulnerable regions. These efforts, along with various wildlife protection treaties,These efforts along with various wildlife protection treaties, demonstrate the value of cross-border actionunderscore the reality of cross-border efforts to conserve natural habitats and endangered species.
Conversely, the global economy is intricately linked through trade agreements, investment treaties, and multinational corporations. Free trade agreements, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the European Union’s Single Market, demonstrate how countries collaborate to facilitate trade, reduce tariffs, and stimulate economic growth. These agreements benefit businesses by opening new markets, enhancing supply chain efficiencies, and fostering innovation. As a result, international business partnerships can drive technological and economic development. For instance, collaborations between tech giants and global firms enable the sharing of resources, knowledge, and technology, accelerating progress in various sectors, from information technology to renewable energy. Such partnerships illustrate how business interests have been a significant driver of international cooperation, with economic gains often translating into tangible improvements in living standardstangible improved living standards.
In conclusion, while international cooperation undoubtedly benefits both the environment and the business world, the latter, unfortunately, enjoys the greater overall benefitsthe greatest general advantages. At the same timeNonetheless, balancing economic interests with environmental stewardship is crucial for fostering a sustainable and equitable future.
Why this response received Band 8.0
The essay is strongest in its well-developed, specific treatment of both environmental and commercial benefits, supported by apt real-world examples and fluent academic language. The main limitation is that the preference for business benefits is asserted more clearly than it is comparatively demonstrated. The highest-priority improvement is to explain explicitly why the economic outcomes are greater than the environmental gains, using a direct evaluative comparison.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both views are fully discussed with relevant, extended examples, and a clear opinion is maintained, although the comparative basis for that opinion could be more explicit.
Add a direct comparison explaining why the scale or tangibility of business benefits outweighs the environmental benefits already described.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas are sequenced clearly in a purposeful four-paragraph structure, and cohesive devices generally guide the argument smoothly.
Strengthen the transition from discussion to evaluation by explicitly linking the evidence in the two body paragraphs.
Lexical Resource
The response uses a broad and precise academic vocabulary naturally, with only occasional slightly awkward combinations.
Polish minor collocations such as the phrasing around improved living standards to make expression consistently idiomatic.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Complex sentence forms are varied and mostly error-free, with minor punctuation and agreement slips that do not impede communication.
Check subject-verb separation and avoid inserting commas between a complete subject phrase and its verb.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Some people think that the main benefit of international cooperation is in the protection of the environment, while others believe that businesses mainly benefit. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.