Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-07-24

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 7.0)

Nowadays, more people are using public transport instead of driving their own cars. Is this a positive or negative development?

The thought of using mass transit rather than commuting in personal vehicles has become popular in recent times. The driving factor is awareness of the ecosystem which results in this positive shift in attitude. This is a constructive development and I applaud the efforts being done to bring this transition.

To commence with, since more and more individuals are acknowledging their role in preserving the environment, using more public transport reduces environmental pollution as well as reduces the financial burden of keeping personal vehicles. To expound, lesser use of personal cars will not only decline the demand for fuel but also reduce the greenhouse gas emissions. Undoubtedly, this phenomenon will make the environment more sustainable. Furthermore, by using mass transportation, individuals save the high EMIs of car payments and monthly auto insurances, which otherwise make a hole in their pockets. This reduces the financial load on an individual’s monthly budget, which consequently, reduces their stress and improves prosperity.

Conversely, despite the merits, there are some people who are not in favour of this transition, they have their viewpoint. The contributing factor is the flexibility and efficient use of time which a personal car provides in the present fast paced lifestyle. Since there is no dependence on local buses or trains for daily commute, the car owners can manage their time more efficiently. To exemplify, a person who has his own car does not need to take connecting buses to reach his destination which saves him a lot of time.

In conclusion, although cars increase environmental damage and are expensive to possess, the comfort and freedom it provides is undeniable. Nevertheless, the phenomenon of prioritizing public transport not only is beneficial for the commuters but also sustainable for the global environment. Therefore, in my opinion this trend is fruitful and should be highly welcomed.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response is completely off-topic. The prompt asks for an opinion on the funding of medical research by private companies, individuals, or the government. However, the essay discusses the benefits and drawbacks of using public transport versus personal cars. Because the response fails to address the task question entirely, it cannot be assessed for task achievement in relation to the prompt provided. According to IELTS criteria, a response that is off-topic must be penalised heavily in Task Achievement, as it does not address the requirements of the task at all.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

Despite being off-topic, the essay itself is structured logically. It uses clear paragraphing, with an introduction, two body paragraphs presenting opposing views, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'To commence with', 'Furthermore', 'Conversely', and 'In conclusion' are used appropriately to link ideas. The progression of arguments is clear, and the internal logic of the essay is sound, even though the content does not match the prompt. The paragraphing is sufficient and the flow between sentences is generally smooth.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task. The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic of transportation, using terms like 'mass transit', 'greenhouse gas emissions', 'sustainable', and 'fast-paced lifestyle'. There is some attempt to use less common collocations, such as 'make a hole in their pockets' and 'financial burden'. While the vocabulary is not highly sophisticated, it is precise enough to convey the intended meaning clearly and effectively throughout the essay.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The essay displays a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is a reasonable level of grammatical control, with frequent error-free sentences. While there are minor slips, such as 'the efforts being done to bring this transition' (which should be 'to bring about') and 'the comfort and freedom it provides' (subject-verb agreement error with 'cars'), these do not impede communication. The punctuation is generally accurate, and the sentence variety shows a good command of English grammar suitable for this level.

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