Has human harmed Earth or made it better place?

One more. Please, look at it, Kitos.

With the development of science and technology human influence on Earth has increased. Some people may allege our planet has become better place for life, while others express opposite opinion. In my opinion, human impact is harmful for Earth and it should be rationalized.

Certainly, people need the improvement of living conditions, and harness nature for their purposes. We settle cities in the places that were formerly unfit for human beings, use machines to grow plant and yield crop, exploit natural resources to use different kind of vehicles etc. However, with facilitating our lives we have done harm to Earth – the beautiful home of all the humankind. We cut forests to build up various constructions, polluted environment extracting diverse natural resources, and contaminated water bodies and air letting out wastes from factories and foundries, let alone tremendous emission of exhausted gases by cars. Our number goes up, and we need more food and more shelter, and consequently consume more resources. We do not stop to think about the consequences of the damage caused to nature by ourselves, though it already sounds alarm by hurricanes, earthquakes and floods, which is a result of the excessive extraction of natural resources and their subsequent combustion. The number of the people, suffered from different kinds of cancer, is continuously amplifying, but we are so busy with daily cares that do not notice this warn and continue abuse the gift given by God – our planet.

Obviously, we should stop this trespass, and take measures to eliminate the problems caused by human activity. The first step may be the adoption of an international policy regarding the prevention of the growth in population all over the world via imposing limits on the number of children in families. It may seem very cruel, but I think it is the first necessary step toward the solution of the problem. In this way we would be able to reduce resource consumption. The next step may be the approval of an international law prohibiting the pollution of environment, and compelling harmful facilities to change their work method and minimize the risk. Last but not least, all countries, especially those having big industry, must allocate money for researches in the preparation of a world-scale strategy for finding effective ways of satisfaction peoples’ requirement for food, house and energy with least damage to nature. The recent cases of oil spill in the Mexico Gulf and the Yellow Sea, as well as on the Pakistan coast are apt examples of human activities’ negative impact. The amount and extension of the damage as a result of these disasters is incalculable. They occurred only in last 2-3 months; just imagine the scale of the damage caused to Earth for the whole history of human existence.

To sum up, it is highly time for all the countries and peoples of the world to be concerned about the fate of Earth so that not to be deprived of their single and valuable shelter. A wise man never makes a hole in his own boat.

TOEFL listening lectures: Which designer did not work at the Bauhaus?

Your topic title is rubbish!

With the development of science and technology human influence on Earth has increased. Some people may allege our planet has become better place for life, while others express opposite opinion. In my opinion, human impact is harmful for Earth and it should be rationalized.

Certainly, people need the improvement of living conditions, and harness nature for their purposes. We settle cities in the places that were formerly unfit for human beings, use machines to grow plant and yield crop, exploit natural resources to use different kind of vehicles etc. However, with facilitating our lives we have done harm to Earth – the beautiful home of all the humankind. We cut forests to build up various constructions, polluted environment extracting diverse natural resources, and contaminated water bodies and air letting out wastes from factories and foundries, let alone tremendous emission of exhausted gases by cars. Our number goes up, and we need more food and more shelter, and consequently consume more resources. We do not stop to think about the consequences of the damage caused to nature by ourselves, though it already sounds alarm by hurricanes, earthquakes and floods, which is a result of the excessive extraction of natural resources and their subsequent combustion. The number of the people, suffered from different kinds of cancer, is continuously amplifying, but we are so busy with daily cares that do not notice this warn and continue abuse the gift given by God – our planet.

Obviously, we should stop this trespass, and take measures to eliminate the problems caused by human activity. The first step may be the adoption of an international policy regarding the prevention of the growth in population all over the world via imposing limits on the number of children in families. It may seem very cruel, but I think it is the first necessary step toward the solution of the problem. In this way we would be able to reduce resource consumption. The next step may be the approval of an international law prohibiting the pollution of environment, and compelling harmful facilities to change their work method and minimize the risk. Last but not least, all countries, especially those having big industry, must allocate money for researches in the preparation of a world-scale strategy for finding effective ways of satisfaction peoples’ requirement for food, house and energy with least damage to nature. The recent cases of oil spill in the Mexico Gulf and the Yellow Sea, as well as on the Pakistan coast are apt examples of human activities’ negative impact. The amount and extension of the damage as a result of these disasters is incalculable. They occurred only in last 2-3 months; just imagine the scale of the damage caused to Earth for the whole history of human existence.

To sum up, it is highly time for all the countries and peoples of the world to be concerned about the fate of Earth so that not to be deprived of their single and valuable shelter. A wise man never makes a hole in his own boat.

TOEFL listening lectures: Which designer did not work at the Bauhaus?
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What do you mean article ‘a’?

“Has human harmed Earth or made it a better place?”

best regards

NO … HAVE HUMANS HARMED THE…

To be honest I took this title from an internet resource and didn’t notice anything strange. Couldn’t I say human in a singular form, I must say it only in plurial? As to “the” in front of Earth, your colleagues asserted me recently that I shouldn’t use “the” with Earth, because it’s the name of planet etc… So, I really don’t know how to understand this :frowning: Please, clarify the situation and check my essay or I wiill not sleep all night :slight_smile:

Hello Remula,

I hope you don’t mind me butting in…
If you review the thread at
english-test.net/forum/sutra271067
you will see that the question of the definite article with ‘earth’ was a little less clear-cut than that. There are times when it is appropriate to use it and times when it isn’t. Unfortunately there isn’t a single rule to explain it.

Has human activity harmed the earth… – singular
Have humans harmed the earth… - plural
You could say ‘Has a human harmed the earth’ but then you are only speaking about one person.

The only “rule” that could be applied here is that Earth is considered a proper noun because there is only one of it in this instance, so it logical that it be preceded with “the”.

With the development of science and technology human influence on Earth has increased. Some people may allege our planet has become A better place for life, while others express THE opposite opinion. In my opinion, human impact is harmful for Earth and it should be rationalized.

Certainly, people need CONSTANT improvement of THEIR living conditions, and THEY harness nature for their purposes. We settle cities in the places that were formerly unfit for human beings, use machines to grow plantS and yield cropS, exploit natural resources to use different kindS of vehicles etc. However, with facilitating our lives we have done harm to Earth – the beautiful home of all OF humankind. We cut forests to build up various constructions, POLLUTE THE environment extracting diverse natural resources, and CONTAMINATE water bodies and air letting out wastes from factories and foundries, let alone tremendous emissionS of EXHAUST gases FROM cars. Our numberS GO up, and we need more food and more shelter, and consequently consume more resources. We do not stop to think about the consequences of the damage caused to nature by ourselves, though it already sounds alarmING,WHAT WITH by hurricanes, earthquakes and floods, which ARE a result of the excessive extraction of natural resources and their subsequent combustion. The number of the people, SUFFERING from different kinds of cancer, is continuously GROWING, but we are so busy with OUR daily cares that WE do not notice this warnING and continue TO abuse the gift given by God – our planet.

Obviously, we should stop this trespass, and take measures to eliminate the problems caused by human activity. The first step may be the adoption of an international policy regarding the prevention of the growth in population all over the world(,) via imposing limits on the number of children in families. It may seem very cruel, but I think it is the first necessary step toward the solution of the problem. In this way we would be able to reduce resource consumption. The next step may be the approval of an international law prohibiting the pollutING of THE environment, and compelling harmful facilities to change their work method and SO minimize the risk.

Last but not least, all countries, especially those having MANY industrIES, must allocate money for researches in the preparation of a world-scale strategy for finding effective ways of SATISFYING peoples’ requirementS for food, houseS and energy with least damage to nature. The recent cases of oil spillAGE in the MexicAN Gulf and the Yellow Sea, as well as on the Pakistan coast are apt examples of human activities’ negative impact. The amount and extension of the damage as a result of these disasters is incalculable. They occurred only in last 2-3 months; just imagine the scale of the damage caused to Earth IN the whole history of human existence.

To sum up, it is HIGH time for all the countries and peoples of the world to be concerned about the fate of Earth(,) so that not to be deprived of their single and valuable shelter. A wise man never makes a hole in his own boat.

Good coverage of a difficult topic.

Kitos. 8/10

My God, how many mistakes!

Beeesneees, let me admit the only thing I understud is Earth may be used with and without the. But there are not exact rules. Then how can I determine it? It’s very strange! I agree with Kitos’s version, because I read the same in"English Grammar in Use"by Murphy. There is such an example: The earth goes round the sun and the moon goes round the earth. I think it contradicts to the link that Beee refers to. Anyway,I’m tired of it, just tell me please, Kitos, should I have put this damned "the"in front of all Earths in this essay or not?

And two more questions, you know they never finish. Why did you write oil spillage instead of oil spill? Isn’t oil spill also noun?

I don’t understand the part “what with by hurricanes” in the sentence “though it already sounds alarmING,WHAT WITH by hurricanes, earthquakes and floods…” Could you explain it to me?

thank you very much and sorry for bothering

it can’t be alarming by…

“what with” introduces… hurricanes and whatever

Your mother might say," I’ve had a busy morning, what with the children crying and the oven exploding!

“The total oil spillage is estimated to be seven million tonnes.” Believe me, what I have written is correct.


Remula, don’t get so irate. It is not essential to use THE before earth in every case, no matter what Murphy says, but in this essay I believe I have used it in the right way. There is no definitive rule for its use, although Murphy believes there is, but he’s Irish, and you know what fools the Irish are. :slight_smile:

“What with” is a new discovery for me. Thanksss

As to Murphy, please don’t name him foolish. He is a very good guy; he has helped me much with English grammar. The problem is articles and some prepositions. If you eliminated them at all, it would facilated our lives :slight_smile:

Not pay attention to my craziness, I just want to have perfect English :slight_smile:

thanks for patience

I know it must be frustrating for you Remula, but surely such differences occur in your own language too.

May be, but I don’t notice it, because I’m a native speaker :slight_smile: