IELTS Writing Task 2: Environment topic — questions, vocabulary, band-7 ideas

The environment is one of the most predictable IELTS Writing Task 2 themes — and one of the easiest to over-generalise. The short answer for a high band: decide whether the question is asking about causes, effects, solutions, or responsibility, then give specific, real-world support rather than vague claims like "pollution is bad." This page gives you the question angles, precise vocabulary, and band-7 thesis sentences. Read it alongside the Task 2 strategy guide.

Common question angles

• Individual vs government responsibility — Is environmental protection the job of individuals or governments? (opinion / discussion)
• Causes and solutions — What causes pollution, and how can it be reduced? (problem-solution)
• Consumption and waste — Should we tax products that harm the environment? Should plastic be banned?
• Climate change — Is it the most serious threat we face? What can ordinary people realistically do?
• Development vs conservation — Can economic growth and environmental protection coexist?

The most common failure here is writing only at the level of slogans. Examiners reward concrete mechanisms: a carbon tax changes behaviour, public transport reduces emissions, recycling cuts landfill.

Vocabulary and collocations you need

• carbon emissions, a carbon footprint, renewable energy, fossil fuels
• greenhouse gases, global warming, deforestation, biodiversity loss
• to curb pollution, to offset emissions, to conserve natural resources
• single-use plastic, landfill, sustainable development, green technology
• environmentally friendly, eco-conscious consumers, the depletion of resources

Use the explain tool when you meet a phrase you half-know — getting "mitigate" vs "alleviate" right is exactly what lifts Lexical Resource. The paraphrase tool helps you restate the prompt without lifting words.

Sample band-7 thesis sentences

• Discussion: "Although individual choices such as recycling do matter, I would argue that meaningful environmental change depends primarily on government regulation and large-scale investment in clean energy."
• Opinion: "I strongly agree that single-use plastics should be heavily taxed, because the convenience they offer is vastly outweighed by the long-term damage to oceans and wildlife."

Each thesis names the position and previews the reasoning. Avoid sitting on the fence — a clear stance scores higher on Task Response than a balanced-but-vague answer.

Avoid the common AZ/RU-speaker mistakes

Environment essays tend to lose marks to uncountable-noun errors ("informations", "advices", "researches"), dropped articles, and overused linkers. The common English mistakes by AZ speakers guide lists the fixes, and the how to get band 7 guide shows how to balance all four criteria so vocabulary alone is not carrying the essay.