Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-18

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 7.0)

Some people argue that sharing information as widely as possible in science, business and education is beneficial. Others do believe that some information values a worth to be shared freely. Both these views have valid arguements.

To commence with, I think that sharing information can greatly contribute to progress. In scientific research, researchers can build on one another’s discoveries instead of repeating the same work. For example, when scientists openly share medical research, new treatments and vaccines can be developed more quickly. Similarly, in education, students and teachers benefit from access to books, studies and online resources. Open information can therefore encourage cooperation, innovation and faster development. For example, in my own academic experience, I have found that sharing notes and research materials with classmates helped us understand difficult topics more quickly and improve our assignments.

Furthermore, in my opinion some information is too valuable or sensitive to be freely available. Businesses spend significant amounts of money developing new products and technologies, so competitors could unfairly benefit if their research were made public. For instance, a company’s secret formula or new technology may be essential to its success. In addition to this, confidential information such as personal data, military technology or financial records could cause serious harm if widely shared.

In my opinion, information should generally be shared when doing so benefits society, particularly in science and education. However, information that involves privacy, security or significant commercial investment should be protected. Therefore, a balance between openness and confidentiality is the most sensible approach.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both sides of the argument and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are well-developed, particularly the distinction between scientific/educational openness and commercial/security-based confidentiality. The position is consistent throughout the essay. The essay is well-structured and covers the requirements of the task effectively, providing relevant examples such as medical research and corporate trade secrets to support the arguments. The conclusion effectively synthesizes the two viewpoints.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the transition between the benefits of sharing and the necessity of protection is smooth. Cohesive devices such as 'To commence with', 'Similarly', 'Furthermore', and 'In addition to this' are used effectively to link sentences and paragraphs. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the flow of the argument is easy to follow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is sufficient and appropriate for the task. The student uses a range of topic-specific terms such as 'confidential information', 'commercial investment', and 'innovation'. While the range is adequate, it could be further enhanced by incorporating more sophisticated collocations or less common lexical items to reach a higher band. There are no significant errors in word choice, and the language used is precise enough to convey the intended meaning clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The essay demonstrates a good control of grammatical structures. There is a mix of simple and complex sentences, such as 'Businesses spend significant amounts of money developing new products and technologies, so competitors could unfairly benefit if their research were made public.' Punctuation is generally accurate, and errors are rare and do not impede communication. The sentence construction is varied, showing a good command of English grammar, though a slightly wider range of complex structures could be employed to demonstrate higher proficiency.

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