Can Individuals Help the Environment? — 03.02.2026
Essay type: Opinion (agree / disagree — to what extent)Band 6.5-8.0Stance: Strongly disagreeTarget ≈ 300 wordsModel essay: Band 8.0
Student's Edition
Ngô Đức Thảo
MTESOL · Academic Director
Task 2 Topic
Some people believe that individuals can do nothing to improve the environment; only governments and large companies can make a real difference. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
1Task analysis
Item
Detail
Essay type
Opinion (agree / disagree — to what extent)
Main topic
Whether ordinary people can improve the environment or only governments and big companies can
Keywords
individuals · do nothing · improve the environment · governments and large companies · a real difference
Task focus
Decide whether individuals have any power to improve the environment compared with governments and large companies
Required position
Say clearly how far you agree or disagree and keep the same position in every paragraph
Plain-English meaning
Some say ordinary people cannot help nature at all; only governments and big businesses can. Do you agree?
Hidden trap
The statement is extreme (can do nothing, only). You can disagree with it while accepting that governments and companies have the greatest power
Chosen stance
Strongly disagree. Systemic actors hold the most power, but individual behaviour is cumulatively significant and is the very force that compels governments and corporations to act
Main-idea plan
BP1 → aggregated individual behaviour has a measurable environmental impact · BP2 → individuals, as consumers and voters, catalyse corporate and political change
2Idea generation
Body 1 — The aggregate weight of individual action
Grassroots movements push governments to legislate
Shareholder activism dự phòng
✓ strongest = ý dùng trong bài mẫu · dự phòng = ý thay thế, không có trong bài mẫu.
3Skeleton
Introduction
General statement: Problems seem too vast for individuals
Paraphrased task: Rewrite: only states, corporations bring change
Thesis: Strongly disagree
Body 1: Household choices aggregated → measurable impact; norms spread
Body 2: Consumers, voters, movements → corporations reform, governments legislate
Conclusion: Restate the opinion → summarise both reasons → final thought
4Plan & write your paragraphs
How to use: Read the main idea, tap the cue words to add them to the box, then write
your own sentence. Your essay is built automatically at the bottom and saved in this browser.
Introduction(50–70 words)
0 words
Goal: Topic → rewrite the statement → give your opinion.
General statement
Main idea: Problems seem too vast for individuals
Starter: Climate change, deforestation and … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Paraphrased task
Main idea: Rewrite: only states, corporations bring change
Starter: It is therefore claimed … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Thesis
Main idea: Strongly disagree
Starter: I strongly disagree, as … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Body Paragraph 1 — The aggregate weight of individual action(100–125 words)
0 words
Goal: Reason 1: explain it and give an example.
Topic sentence
Main idea: Cumulative weight of behaviour
Starter: To begin with, the … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Explanation 1
Main idea: Small changes × millions
Starter: Household decisions about diet … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Example
Main idea: Rooftop solar spread from homeowners
Starter: The rapid spread of … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Explanation 2
Main idea: Habits become norms
Starter: Moreover, such choices are … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Further development
Main idea: Not trivial
Starter: Seen in this light … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Link
Main idea: Powerful source of change
Starter: To dismiss it is … ·
Tap a cue word to insert it at the cursor.
Body Paragraph 2 — Individuals as catalysts of systemic change(100–125 words)
