Economic development or protecting the natural world?
The question
Some people think that economic development should be the most important goal of governments, while others argue that protecting the natural world is more important. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
How to answer it
A classic discuss-both-views: you owe the examiner a fair paragraph on each side plus a clearly stated opinion, and that opinion must appear in the introduction as well as the conclusion. Give the economic side its strongest case (jobs, healthcare funding, poverty reduction) before answering it, then argue the environmental side from dependency rather than sentiment: growth built on a depleted resource base is borrowing from itself.
What moves the band
- Signal whose view you are reporting: 'Advocates of growth-first policy argue …', then 'The opposing case rests on …'
- One well-chosen real example — a country that priced pollution and kept growing — outweighs three hypotheticals.
- Do not end on 'a balance is needed' and nothing else; say what the balance is.
These are candidate recalls. These are questions reported by test-takers after their exams, not official or leaked IELTS material. Wording varies by test version, location and memory. Use them for timed practice — never as a prediction of what you will be asked.
Practise these next
Know the number. Now move it.
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