Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-11-10

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Nowadays, many medical research projects are funded by private companies. In your opinion, do you think that research should be carried by private companies, individuals or government?

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

Student answer (Band 5.5)

At present, a large number of medical research projects are backed by private companies. While many individuals contend that these projects should be carried out by companies, in my opinion it should be carried out by the government.

There are different reasons behind this; firstly, when a medical project is carried out by the government, there is less chance of corruption. Every step is controlled by the authorities so that no one can misuse the project for their own benefit. Secondly, the project will be well maintained by the government because they have the right data on people who need medical help the most. So that none of the services go to the wrong person.

By contrast, if private companies run the medical research project, they will find their own profit through the project. If the projects are run by companies or individuals, there would be no laws or rules. In addition, companies and individuals will be able to change the accrued data from the project. They will use that data for their business purposes.

In conclusion, while others contend that medical research projects should be carried out by private companies or individuals, in my opinion, the projects should be funded by the government.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

Your position is clear: you believe medical research should be funded and carried out by government, and you give relevant reasons, including oversight, reduced misuse, and access to information about people needing help. However, the response does not fully develop these points or address the alternatives in enough detail. For example, the claim that private projects would have “no laws or rules” is broad and needs qualification or support, while the government’s access to “the right data” is not explained with a specific example. The response is also 46 words below the required minimum, which limits the space available to develop your argument. Extend each main reason with explanation or a relevant example, and clarify the role of individuals as well as companies.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction states your view, two body paragraphs present reasons and contrast, and a conclusion restates your position. Sequencing words such as “firstly,” “secondly,” and “By contrast” help readers follow the argument. However, some connections are mechanical, and a few links between sentences are unclear. “So that none of the services go to the wrong person” is a fragment rather than a complete continuation of the previous idea, and “There are different reasons behind this” does not specify what “this” refers to. The conclusion repeats the introduction without adding a final implication. Use clearer referencing and connect each explanation directly to its main point.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “medical research projects,” “authorities,” “corruption,” and “business purposes,” and your meaning is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several phrases are imprecise or repetitive. “Carried out” appears repeatedly, while “find their own profit through the project” is an unnatural collocation; “seek to maximise profits” would express the idea more naturally. “Accrued data” is also unclear in this context, and “right data” is too vague to convey what information the government has. Aim for more precise terms such as “patient records,” “research findings,” or “commercial interests,” and vary repeated wording while keeping your claims accurate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use a mixture of simple statements and some longer structures, including the contrast introduced by “While” and the conditional sentence beginning “If the projects are run…”. Most of the argument remains understandable, but some sentence structures and punctuation need more control. “While many individuals contend that these projects should be carried out by companies, in my opinion it should be carried out by the government” has an unclear pronoun reference and shifts from plural “projects” to singular “it.” The sentence beginning “So that” is incomplete, and the final sentence of the second body paragraph joins two independent ideas with a comma. Check subject–pronoun agreement, make each sentence complete, and use full stops or conjunctions to join clauses.

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