Skip to content
IELTSbiz
All Task 2 topics
2 graded answers · band 5–6.5

Individuals can do nothing to improve the environment; only governments and large companies can make a difference. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Citizens are incapable of personally making significant positive changes on the aspects of their surroundings, however for a region to remarkably transform, the state and other influential businesses are the ones with the sole capability of overlooking these changes. People, contrary to their leaders, lack control and empowerment strategies necessary to aim for substantial results of the measures taken to change their area. I strongly believe that ordinary citizens cannot facilitate big alterations of their surroundings, while leaders are very much able. To begin with, the process of transforming the face of a place requires extensive work with many units coordinating to have desired outcomes. This needs a central point of harmonization and given that the government is composed of several sectors, this becomes an easy task for them. Citizens lack this ability hence the government becomes a convenient option. For example, the state will easily incorporate the architecture and construction units when there is a need to reconstruct a park because these are the segments it controls. This can get difficult for nationals thus the potential lies uniquely on the state. Additionally, significant changes require large amounts of money which individuals lack. Nonetheless, bodies running the country generate a considerable sum of income from taxes and activities running across various sectors. This makes them capable of catering for all reinforcements necessary in their location. For instance, the entire process of constructing large roads requires billions and as a result, the state mostly takes up that responsibility. This makes the state the only guaranteed prospect of making marked changes in a community. extensive work.

2 IELTSbiz learners have answered this Task 2 question and had it marked on the four official criteria; bands ranged from 5 to 6.5, with a median of Band 6. Compare the answers below to see exactly what the higher bands did differently.

Read this first

These are learner answers, not model answers — including the ones that scored well. Read them for what the criteria reward and punish, not as text to copy. A memorised essay attached to a slightly different question scores worse than an honest attempt, and examiners recognise recited material quickly.

  • Task Response7
  • Lexical Resource6
  • Grammatical Range & Accuracy6
  • Coherence & Cohesion7

It is said that only authorities and large corporations are responsible for protecting the envinronment while the effort of regular people is inconsiderable and unimportant. I vehemently disagree with the view because citizens' pressure can force governments to regulate stricter laws to preserve the environment and the collective effort of each individual can accumulate into substantial changes. The primary reason why individuals' contributions are important is that the authorities cannot ignore citizens' voices. That is to say that when people are bounded together with the same purpose of protecting their planet, the pressure and protests from them will force the government to implement new regulations to prevent industries from polluting the ecosystem. A practical example of this can be seen in Vietnam, where its people protested against a company called Formosa for severely damaging the river and canals around the area, and this obliged the authority to shut down the business, bringing back the natural resouces to the residents. Another reason why the role of the regular people cannot be downplayed is that the collective effort of each individual can result in significant changes on a large scale. This is because when each person is well aware of how their activities can impact the environment, a huge amount of plastic and trash will be reduced and recycled every year and this can set a positive figure for others to follow. For instance, Japanese people are famously known for their attitude to preserving the country's street. This not only makes it one of the cleanest nations in the world but also sets an example of how people can improve their own neighbourhood without depending on the government. In conclusion, the collective effort of individuals is imperative in improving the natural world in which we are thriving because not only it can change the system behind the negative patterns but also influence and spread the positive virtues that encourage others to follow.

Read the full answer and the examiner's feedback

Band 5 answer

264 words
  • Task Response5
  • Lexical Resource5
  • Grammatical Range & Accuracy5
  • Coherence & Cohesion5

Citizens are incapable of personally making significant positive changes on the aspects of their surroundings, however for a region to remarkably transform, the state and other influential businesses are the ones with the sole capability of overlooking these changes. People, contrary to their leaders, lack control and empowerment strategies necessary to aim for substantial results of the measures taken to change their area. I strongly believe that ordinary citizens cannot facilitate big alterations of their surroundings, while leaders are very much able. To begin with, the process of transforming the face of a place requires extensive work with many units coordinating to have desired outcomes. This needs a central point of harmonization and given that the government is composed of several sectors, this becomes an easy task for them. Citizens lack this ability hence the government becomes a convenient option. For example, the state will easily incorporate the architecture and construction units when there is a need to reconstruct a park because these are the segments it controls. This can get difficult for nationals thus the potential lies uniquely on the state. Additionally, significant changes require large amounts of money which individuals lack. Nonetheless, bodies running the country generate a considerable sum of income from taxes and activities running across various sectors. This makes them capable of catering for all reinforcements necessary in their location. For instance, the entire process of constructing large roads requires billions and as a result, the state mostly takes up that responsibility. This makes the state the only guaranteed prospect of making marked changes in a community. extensive work.

Read the full answer and the examiner's feedback

About this question

What band do answers to this IELTS question usually get?

Across 2 graded answers on IELTSbiz, bands ranged from 5 to 6.5, with a median of Band 6. Each was marked on Task Response, Coherence & Cohesion, Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range & Accuracy.

What separates the Band 6.5 answer from the Band 5 answer?

The largest difference is Task Response: 7 in the Band 6.5 answer against 5 in the Band 5 answer. Open each answer to read the examiner's reason for every criterion.

Write your own answer to this question

    Need help?