Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-18
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 6.0)
Information plays a vital role in scientific research, business and education. While, some people argue that information should be shared widely as possible, others believe that certain knowledge is too valuable or sensitive to be made freely available. In my opinion, information should generally be shared because it encourages progress, although confidential abd commeracially sensitive information should be protected.
On the one hand, sharing information can provide significant benefits to society. In scientific research, researchers can build on each other's discoveries instead of repeating the same work, which can accelerate the development of new medicines and technologies. Similarly, universities benefit when student and academic have access to research papers, data and ideas from different parts of the world. In the business sector, sharing certain knowledge between companies can also encourage cooperation and lead to improved products and services. For instance, researchers working together on medical treatments can combine their effective solution more quickly than workin those independently.
On the other hand, there are situations in which information should not be shared freely. Business invest substantial amounts of money in developing new products, and revealing trade secrets or confidential strategies could allow competitors to benefit without making the same investment. For example, company revealed details of a new product before its official launch, competitors might copy the idea and reduce the company commercial advantage.
In conclusion, although sharing informtion promote research, education and innovation is always appropriate. I believe that information should be shared whenever doing so benefits society while confidential, personal and commercially sensitive material should remain protected.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both the views in favour of free information sharing and the counter-arguments regarding confidential or valuable material, while also stating a clear personal opinion in the introduction and conclusion. Ideas are relevant and supported with appropriate examples, such as medical research and business trade secrets. For instance, the mention of researchers combining effective solutions more quickly illustrates the benefits of collaboration. However, some ideas could be extended further; for example, the conclusion contains a minor grammatical slip that slightly garbles the final assertion ("although sharing informtion promote research, education and innovation is always appropriate"). Nevertheless, the core requirements of the task are met well, aligning closely with Band 7 expectations.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay displays a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. It is divided into four paragraphs, moving from an introductory stance to body paragraphs discussing each view in turn, and concluding with a summary of the writer's position. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, such as 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand', which clearly signal the shift between opposing arguments. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct themes. While referencing and referencing pronouns are mostly clear, occasional minor mechanical issues prevent a higher band, such as the incomplete conditional structure in the final body paragraph ("For example, company revealed details..."). Overall, cohesion is managed effectively to ensure the message flows logically.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for an academic task, incorporating topic-specific terms such as 'scientific research', 'confidential', 'commercially sensitive', and 'trade secrets'. There are, however, a few spelling errors and word-choice inaccuracies present in the text, such as 'abd' instead of 'and', 'commeracially' instead of 'commercially', and 'informtion' instead of 'information'. Additionally, phrases like 'combine their effective solution' feel slightly unnatural. Despite these occasional lapses, the vocabulary used is sufficient for the task and communication is not impeded.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts at subordination and relative clauses, such as 'While, some people argue that information should be shared widely as possible...' and 'Business invest substantial amounts of money in developing new products...'. There are several grammatical errors and omissions throughout the text, including punctuation errors (the missing comma after 'While'), missing articles ('a company revealed'), and awkward phrasing in the conclusion. Despite these recurring errors, the majority of simple sentences are clear, and the mistakes rarely impede overall communication, placing this response firmly in Band 6.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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