Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-11

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Write about the following topic: Some people believe that it is good to share as much information as possible in scientific research, business and the academic world. Others believe that some information is too important or too valuable to be shared freely. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 6.0)

Although, it is believed by some people that it is good to share as much information as possible in scientific research, business and the academic world, others believe that some information is too important or too valuable to be shared openly. I believe that sharing information is beneficial because it benefits the humanity as a whole.

Many times a person or a group of people invent something new which not only benefits the inventor but also the people across the world. Sharing this information to other people will make this invention reach faster to others. This rapid spread of invention is crucial for our society as it can make the lives of people easier. Few years back, Google created a new algorithm named map-reduce which helped them store gigantic data. Instead of keeping this algorithm to themselves they published a open research paper which everyone can read and implement it in their company. As a result storing big data became an easy task for other companies and more data could be stored by them.

However, sometimes a discovery is so specific that it does not affect the whole world but it only benefits this particular company or person. In this case, it is better to keep information private so that other individuals could not use this for their own purposes. Many decades back, a person had found a great recipe to make delicious burgers. He believed in this recipe and started restaurants for burgers. The company is called "Mc Donalds" and they had not shared their recipe to anyone for a very long time. By doing so, they dominated the fast food market.

Therefore, it can be said that if a piece of information in very useful and can benefit humanity as a whole, it should be made publicly available. However, if sharing this information will not help majority of people but will surely damage a person, then it is best to not give this information to anyone.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall6.0

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both views and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant and supported by examples, such as Google's map-reduce algorithm and the McDonald's recipe. However, the development of the second viewpoint is slightly less sophisticated than the first. The argument regarding McDonald's is a bit simplistic, as it conflates a trade secret with scientific or academic research. To reach a higher band, the student should aim to explore the nuances of intellectual property versus the 'common good' with more depth, rather than relying on a single commercial anecdote.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central topic, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. Cohesive devices such as 'However', 'As a result', and 'Therefore' are used effectively to link sentences and paragraphs. While the flow is generally good, some transitions feel slightly mechanical. The use of referencing is clear, and the paragraphing is appropriate for the task. Overall, the structure supports the reader's understanding of the argument without any significant lapses in coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate and allows for the expression of ideas clearly. There is some attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'algorithm', 'gigantic data', and 'fast food market'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are occasional inaccuracies in collocation and word choice, such as 'benefits the humanity' (should be 'benefits humanity') and 'published a open research paper' (should be 'an open'). The vocabulary is functional but lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher bands. Expanding the range of academic collocations would improve the score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors throughout the text, such as 'Although, it is believed' (the comma after 'Although' is unnecessary), 'Few years back' (missing 'A'), and 'if a piece of information in very useful' (should be 'is'). These errors are frequent enough to prevent a higher score but do not impede communication. The student demonstrates a reasonable grasp of grammar, but more consistent control over articles and punctuation is needed to reach the next level.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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