Climate change is a pressing global issue that frequently appears in IELTS Writing Task 2 prompts. Based on past exam trends and the increasing urgency of this topic, it’s highly likely that questions about international cooperation to combat climate change will continue to be prevalent in future IELTS tests. Let’s explore this theme through a carefully selected prompt and analyze sample essays across different band scores.
Analyzing the Task 2 Prompt
Some people believe that countries should work together to tackle climate change, while others think each country should deal with it independently. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
This prompt presents a common IELTS Writing Task 2 format: discussing two contrasting views and providing a personal opinion. It requires candidates to:
- Explain why some believe in international collaboration on climate change
- Discuss reasons why others prefer independent national approaches
- Present and justify their own stance on the issue
Let’s examine three sample essays of varying quality to understand how to effectively address this prompt.
Sample Essay 1: Band 8-9 Response
Climate change is undoubtedly one of the most pressing challenges facing our planet today. While some argue that each nation should tackle this issue independently, others advocate for a collaborative global approach. In my opinion, international cooperation is essential for effectively combating climate change, although individual country efforts also play a crucial role.
Those who support independent national approaches to climate change often argue that each country has unique circumstances and resources. They believe that tailored strategies can be more effective in addressing specific local challenges. For instance, a country with extensive coastlines might prioritize sea-level rise mitigation, while a landlocked nation may focus on drought prevention. Additionally, some contend that independent action allows for faster decision-making and implementation without the need for complex international negotiations.
However, the argument for global collaboration is compelling and, in my view, more convincing. Climate change is inherently a transboundary issue that affects all nations, regardless of their individual contributions to greenhouse gas emissions. Collaborative efforts can lead to more comprehensive and far-reaching solutions. For example, international agreements like the Paris Accord set global targets and encourage knowledge sharing, technological transfer, and financial support between developed and developing nations. Moreover, unified action can prevent the “free-rider” problem, where some countries might benefit from others’ efforts without contributing themselves.
In my opinion, the most effective approach combines both global cooperation and national initiatives. While international collaboration provides a framework for collective action and shared goals, individual countries must also take responsibility for implementing these strategies within their borders. This hybrid approach allows for the benefits of global coordination while maintaining the flexibility to address specific national concerns.
In conclusion, while there are merits to independent climate action, I firmly believe that international cooperation is crucial for effectively combating climate change. The global nature of this crisis demands a unified response, supplemented by tailored national efforts. Only through collaborative action can we hope to mitigate the impacts of climate change and create a sustainable future for our planet.
(Word count: 323)
Analysis of Band 8-9 Essay
This essay demonstrates excellence in several key areas:
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Task Response: The essay fully addresses all parts of the task, discussing both views and clearly stating a personal opinion.
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Coherence and Cohesion: Ideas are logically organized with clear progression. Paragraphs are well-linked using cohesive devices like “However” and “Moreover”.
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Lexical Resource: The essay uses a wide range of vocabulary accurately and appropriately. Examples include “transboundary”, “mitigation”, and “free-rider problem”.
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Grammatical Range and Accuracy: The essay displays a variety of complex structures used accurately. For instance, “While international collaboration provides a framework for collective action and shared goals, individual countries must also take responsibility for implementing these strategies within their borders.”
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Development of Ideas: Each point is well-developed with explanations and examples, such as the mention of the Paris Accord and the comparison between coastal and landlocked countries’ priorities.
Sample Essay 2: Band 6-7 Response
Climate change is a big problem that affects everyone in the world. Some people think countries should work together to solve this problem, while others believe each country should handle it on their own. I will discuss both views and give my opinion.
There are good reasons why some people think countries should work together on climate change. Firstly, climate change is a global problem that doesn’t respect borders. What one country does can affect others. For example, if a big country produces a lot of pollution, it can cause problems for its neighbors. Secondly, working together means countries can share ideas and technology. This can help find better solutions faster.
On the other hand, some people think each country should deal with climate change by itself. They believe that every country has different problems and resources. For instance, a country with a lot of forests might focus on preventing deforestation, while a country with many factories might work on reducing industrial emissions. Also, some people think it’s faster for countries to act alone without waiting for international agreements.
In my opinion, I think the best way is for countries to work together but also take individual action. Global cooperation is important because climate change affects everyone. But each country should also have its own plans that fit its specific situation. This way, we can have both big international goals and specific local actions.
To conclude, while there are benefits to countries working alone on climate change, I believe that working together is more important. Climate change is too big a problem for any one country to solve alone. By combining global efforts with local actions, we have the best chance of protecting our planet for future generations.
(Word count: 291)
Analysis of Band 6-7 Essay
This essay demonstrates good competence but falls short of the highest band scores:
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Task Response: The essay addresses all parts of the task, but the ideas are less fully developed compared to the Band 8-9 essay.
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Coherence and Cohesion: The essay is generally well-organized, but the use of cohesive devices is less sophisticated. It relies more on simpler linking words like “Firstly” and “Secondly”.
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Lexical Resource: The vocabulary is appropriate but less varied and sophisticated than the higher band essay. It uses more common words and phrases.
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Grammatical Range and Accuracy: The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentences but with less variety than the Band 8-9 essay. There are no significant errors, but the structures are less complex.
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Development of Ideas: Ideas are relevant and supported with examples, but they are less fully explored compared to the higher band essay.
Sample Essay 3: Band 5-6 Response
Climate change is very important problem in the world today. Some people think countries should work together to fix it, but others think each country should do it alone. I will talk about both ideas and give my opinion.
Some people say countries should work together on climate change. This is good idea because climate change affects all countries. If countries work together, they can share ideas and help each other. For example, rich countries can help poor countries with money and technology to fight climate change.
But other people think each country should deal with climate change by itself. They say every country has different problems and different ways to solve them. Some countries have more forests, some have more factories. So they need different solutions. Also, some people think it’s faster for countries to act alone without waiting for others.
I think countries should work together and also do things alone. Working together is important because climate change is big problem that affects everyone. But each country should also have its own plans. This way, we can have big goals for everyone and small goals for each country.
In conclusion, I believe working together is better for solving climate change. It’s too big for one country to fix alone. If all countries help each other, we can protect the Earth better for the future.
(Word count: 232)
Analysis of Band 5-6 Essay
This essay demonstrates a modest attempt at addressing the task but has several limitations:
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Task Response: The essay covers the basic requirements of the task but lacks depth in its discussion.
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Coherence and Cohesion: The organization is simple and sometimes repetitive. Cohesive devices are limited and sometimes overused (e.g., repeated use of “Some people”).
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Lexical Resource: The vocabulary is limited and repetitive, with frequent use of basic words and phrases.
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Grammatical Range and Accuracy: The essay mainly uses simple sentence structures with limited variety. There are some grammatical errors, such as missing articles and incorrect verb forms.
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Development of Ideas: Ideas are present but underdeveloped. Examples are basic and not fully explained.
Key Vocabulary to Remember
- Climate change (noun) /ˈklaɪmət tʃeɪndʒ/ – Long-term changes in temperature and weather patterns
- Collaboration (noun) /kəˌlæbəˈreɪʃn/ – The action of working with someone to produce something
- Mitigation (noun) /ˌmɪtɪˈɡeɪʃn/ – The action of reducing the severity, seriousness, or painfulness of something
- Greenhouse gas emissions (noun phrase) /ˈɡriːnhaʊs ɡæs ɪˈmɪʃnz/ – The release of gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect
- Sustainable (adjective) /səˈsteɪnəbl/ – Able to be maintained at a certain rate or level
- Transboundary (adjective) /trænzˈbaʊndəri/ – Crossing or extending across boundaries
- Paris Accord (noun) /ˈpærɪs əˈkɔːrd/ – An international agreement on climate change mitigation
- Free-rider problem (noun phrase) /friː ˈraɪdər ˈprɒbləm/ – A situation where some individuals benefit from resources without paying for them
- Deforestation (noun) /diːˌfɒrɪˈsteɪʃn/ – The action of clearing a wide area of trees
- Carbon footprint (noun phrase) /ˈkɑːrbən ˈfʊtprɪnt/ – The amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere as a result of activities
Conclusion
The topic of international collaboration in combating climate change is likely to remain a significant theme in IELTS Writing Task 2. To prepare effectively, practice writing essays on related topics such as:
- The role of developed countries in assisting developing nations with climate change
- The effectiveness of international agreements on climate change
- Balancing economic growth with environmental protection
- The impact of individual actions versus government policies in addressing climate change
Remember to structure your essays clearly, use a range of vocabulary and complex grammatical structures, and fully develop your ideas with relevant examples. We encourage you to practice writing an essay on the prompt provided in this article and share it in the comments section for feedback and discussion. This active practice is an excellent way to improve your IELTS Writing skills and prepare for success in the exam.