Discussion 題（Discuss both views and give your opinion）是台灣考生最容易寫歪的題型——常常不是兩邊都寫，就是兩邊都弱。Band 7+ 要兩邊各給一段充分發展 + 清楚選邊。本篇示範。

題目

Some people believe that tackling climate change is primarily the responsibility of individual citizens, through choices such as reducing consumption and changing diet. Others argue that meaningful progress depends on government policy and international agreements.

Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words.

題型：Discussion——Discuss both views and give your opinion。我的立場：government action is decisive, though individual choices matter too。

完整範文（296 字）

¹ Debates over who bears primary responsibility for addressing climate change have intensified as extreme weather events become more visible and more costly. ² While advocates of individual responsibility emphasise daily consumer choices, I will argue that government policy carries the greater weight, even if personal behaviour continues to play a meaningful supporting role.

³ Those who stress individual action point out that emissions are ultimately the sum of billions of everyday decisions — what we eat, how we travel, how much we discard. ⁴ On this view, waiting for governments to act is itself a form of denial, since consumer demand shapes what industries produce. ⁵ A 2023 Nature Climate Change analysis estimated that household-level changes could theoretically cut global emissions by around 25%, which is far from negligible. ⁶ There is genuine force in this argument, particularly for citizens in affluent economies whose footprints are disproportionately large.

⁷ Nevertheless, I find the case for government primacy more persuasive, because the infrastructure that shapes individual choices is itself a political product. ⁸ A household cannot choose an electric vehicle if charging networks do not exist, nor take the train if rail has been allowed to deteriorate; these options are created or destroyed by policy, not willpower. ⁹ Furthermore, the largest emission sources — power generation, heavy industry and aviation — lie almost entirely beyond individual control and respond only to regulation, carbon pricing or international agreements such as the Paris Accord. ¹⁰ Individual virtue, however admirable, cannot retrofit a coal plant.

¹¹ In conclusion, although personal behaviour genuinely contributes at the margins, the scale and speed that climate change now demands are only attainable through coordinated government action. ¹² Framing this as a matter of individual responsibility risks letting the more powerful actors quietly off the hook.

句句解析

§1 — Intro

  • 句 1 (Hook): "Debates over who bears primary responsibility..." — bears primary responsibility 是精準搭配。
  • 句 2 (Signpost + thesis): "While advocates... emphasise..., I will argue that government policy carries the greater weight..." — 預告兩邊都會討論 + 選邊。這是 Discussion 題的鐵律。

§2 — 討論「個人」那方（fair view）

  • 句 3 (Steelman 對方): "Those who stress individual action point out that emissions are ultimately the sum..." — 用 ultimately 強化對方論據。
  • 句 4 (Extend): "On this view, waiting for governments... is itself a form of denial..." — 不是敷衍，是認真展開對方立場。
  • 句 5 (Evidence for their side): "A 2023 Nature Climate Change analysis... 25%..." — 用數字支持對方。Band 7+ 會給對方一個真的支持得住的證據。
  • 句 6 (Partial concession): "There is genuine force in this argument, particularly for..." — genuine force 是肯定對方——留伏筆但不投降。

§3 — 自己的立場（發展自己那邊）

  • 句 7 (Pivot): "Nevertheless, I find the case for government primacy more persuasive..." — Nevertheless 明確轉場。
  • 句 8 (Concrete example): "A household cannot choose an electric vehicle if charging networks do not exist..." — 具體、可視化的論據。
  • 句 9 (Scale argument): "...the largest emission sources... lie almost entirely beyond individual control..." — 把議題升級到結構層。
  • 句 10 (Memorable close): "Individual virtue, however admirable, cannot retrofit a coal plant." — 短句收尾製造記憶點。✓ Coherence (rhythm)

§4 — Conclusion

  • 句 11 (Balanced restate): "...although personal behaviour genuinely contributes at the margins..." — 承認對方 + 重申立場。Discussion 題的結論不能只選邊，要呼應兩邊。
  • 句 12 (Warning): "Framing this as a matter of individual responsibility risks letting the more powerful actors quietly off the hook." — 政治層面的 consequence。

四大評分項證據表

| 評分項 | 本篇證據 | Band | |--------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------| | Task Response | 兩邊都公平展開（§2 支持對方並給數字，§3 自己立場並舉例）；明確選邊；結論呼應兩方；發展深度足夠 | 7 | | Coherence & Cohesion | 段落功能分明（intro / 對方 / 己方 / 結論）；pivot linker（Nevertheless, Furthermore, although）；referent 清楚（this argument, these options） | 7 | | Lexical Resource | Topic-specific（carbon pricing, Paris Accord, retrofit, charging networks, emission sources）；搭配（bears primary responsibility, at the margins） | 7 | | Grammar Range | Conditional（cannot choose... if X do not exist）；relative clause（that shapes, whose footprints）；cleft（who bears）；complex NP（the more powerful actors） | 7 |

三個你可以複製的 Discussion 題動作

1. §2 要「真的支持對方」

考生最常犯：§2 寫一半就忍不住反駁。Band 7 要求 §2 完全站在對方立場寫——甚至給對方一個數字（見句 5）。反駁留到 §3。

2. Intro 用 while + I will argue 公式

"While advocates of X emphasise Y, I will argue that Z..." ——一句話讓評分員同時看到：你辨認出 discussion 題、你會討論對方、你有立場。Task Response 7 的訊號。

3. 結論必須呼應兩邊

不能只寫「我的立場是 Z」——要寫 "Although X genuinely contributes at the margins, Z..."。承認對方一次，再重申自己——這是 Discussion 題結論的 Band 7 分水嶺。

延伸閱讀：Task 2 五種題型判斷・Task 2 Discussion Essay 範文・Task 2 常考主題 · 環境