Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-17

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 6.5)

In the age of the internet, where information has become a commodity and is present in abundance everywhere, there are both pros and cons to sharing scientific information too freely.

On one hand, access to important information or research could be very beneficial to society because people could enhance, invent or improve existing systems. For example, if someone shared a scientific paper on AI today, other scientists could help progress the research by contributing to the existing paper. Furthermore, the original publisher would also become aware of potential blind spots or considerations that can only be caught by a pair of fresh eyes.

On the other hand, the biggest caveat is that if valuable information is freely accessible without guardrails to people with ill intentions, they could potentially destroy the foundations of society. Let's consider an example where people reveal dark psychological tactics on the internet. Any malicious manipulator could use that information against innocent individuals and target them to bend as per his will. Furthermore, knowledge of toxic chemicals gives the criminals an edge to silently harm victims without chemical footprints.

Personally, I lean towards sharing information freely ONLY with an important guardrail; in theory, if we could somehow verify that the recipient is verified by identity and will face the consequences of using the information if used against humans.

Lastly, we can conclude that information is both a boon and a bane for society, and it should be shared freely while keeping in mind all the consequences that could follow it.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both the benefits and risks of information sharing while providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant and supported by examples, such as the mention of AI research and the potential misuse of psychological tactics. However, the development of the personal opinion is somewhat brief. While the 'guardrail' concept is introduced, it lacks depth in terms of how such a system would function in practice. To reach a higher band, the argument could be extended by exploring the practical challenges of implementing these controls in a globalized academic or business environment.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the transition between the benefits and the risks is smooth, using appropriate linking phrases like 'On one hand' and 'On the other hand'. Cohesive devices are used effectively, such as 'Furthermore' and 'Lastly'. However, the conclusion is slightly repetitive of the introduction rather than synthesizing the main points more robustly. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the distinct viewpoints, contributing to the overall readability of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is sufficient and generally appropriate for the task. The student uses some precise terms such as 'commodity', 'blind spots', 'malicious manipulator', and 'boon and a bane'. While the range is adequate, it does not consistently demonstrate the 'less common' lexical items required for higher bands. There are no significant errors in word choice that impede communication, but the language remains somewhat functional rather than sophisticated. Incorporating more academic collocations would enhance the lexical profile of the essay.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is a high level of accuracy throughout, with very few grammatical errors. For instance, the use of conditional structures ('if we could somehow verify...') is handled well. Punctuation is generally accurate, aiding the flow of the text. While the range of structures is sufficient, the essay could benefit from more varied complex sentence patterns, such as inversion or more sophisticated relative clauses, to demonstrate a wider grammatical range.

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

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