Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-17
IELTS Writing Task 2 question
The most important aim of science should be to improve people’s lives. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? Give reasons for your answers and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Student answer (Band 7.0)
It is often argued that the primary purpose of the scientific research should be to enhance the human welfare and solve practical and real word problems. While I agree that uplifting the human lives is a vital responsibility of the scientific community, I disagree that it should be the sole and absolute priority.
On the one hand, science must focus on solving real-world problems. The most significant scientific discoveries are those that save lives and ensure human survival. For instance, medical advancements have provided vaccines and antibiotics that cure deadly diseases and increase life expectancy. In addition, agricultural science enables farmers to produce more food, which prevents widespread hunger. Therefore, using science to directly benefit humanity is both a necessity and a moral duty.
On the other hand, science should also be about learning new things just out of curiosity. If scientists only focus on solving current problems, we might miss out on huge future discoveries. For example, when scientists first studied the rules of space and light, they did not know it would be useful. Today, that same science is used to make smartphones and computers. This shows that studying pure science is important, even if we do not see an immediate use for it.
In conclusion, while improving the quality of human life is undeniably a crucial aim of science, it should not be viewed as the only important one. A balanced approach that can support both science for immediate problem-solving and basic science for theoretical exploration is necessary to ensure long-term progress for humanity.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.5 |
| Overall | 7.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5
You have fully addressed all parts of the task by presenting a clear position throughout the essay. In your introduction, you state your view that while human welfare is a vital priority, it should not be the sole focus of science. You then develop this position logically over two body paragraphs. The first body paragraph explores the necessity of science in solving real-world problems, citing effective examples such as medical advancements and agricultural science. The second body paragraph successfully introduces a counter-argument and extends it by discussing the value of pure, curiosity-driven science and its long-term technological applications. Your ideas are well-supported with relevant examples from general knowledge. Your conclusion neatly summarises your balanced stance. Overall, your response meets all requirements for Task Achievement at a high standard, demonstrating clear and fully developed ideas without any noticeable omissions.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5
Your essay is logically organised and easy to follow from beginning to end. You have structured your response into four distinct and appropriate paragraphs, starting with an introduction, followed by two well-focused body paragraphs, and concluding with a concise summary. Progression is clear, as you smoothly transition from discussing applied science to exploring pure science, before drawing a balanced conclusion. You use cohesive devices effectively, such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', 'For instance', and 'In addition', which guide the reader through your arguments without appearing mechanical. Referencing is clear throughout the text. Paragraphing is used skillfully to separate distinct ideas, resulting in a cohesive piece of writing that is very easy to read and understand.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.5
You demonstrate a sufficient and flexible range of vocabulary that allows you to discuss the topic with precision. You successfully incorporate less common lexical items and collocations appropriate for an academic context, such as 'human welfare', 'scientific community', 'medical advancements', 'life expectancy', and 'theoretical exploration'. There are only occasional minor lexical slips, such as writing 'the scientific research' with an unnecessary article, and 'real word problems' instead of 'real-world problems'. However, these minor errors do not impede communication in any way. Your spelling is accurate throughout, and your vocabulary choices effectively convey your arguments, showing a good awareness of style and collocation suitable for a Band 7 level.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5
You display a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures throughout your essay. You successfully incorporate complex forms such as concessive clauses ('While I agree that uplifting the human lives is a vital responsibility...') and conditional structures ('If scientists only focus on solving current problems...'). The majority of your sentences are error-free, and your control of grammar and punctuation is generally strong. There are a few minor grammatical inaccuracies, such as dropping the plural in 'uplifting the human lives' (should be 'human lives' or 'human life') and the article slip in 'the primary purpose of the scientific research'. Despite these minor flaws, your grammar does not impede communication, and you maintain a good variety of complex structures across the response.
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