Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-15

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 6.0)

In this contemporary time, many people argue that conflict of interest will arise if medical research is funded by private companies. There may be some extent of validity to this statement, but from my perspective, it is necessary to involve private companies because the government cannot alone sustain these types of research.

The majority of pharmaceutical companies are owned by the private groups that produce tons of medicine that are essential for the public. One new molecule needs decades of time and billion-dollar investment before getting marketed. This huge amount of money cannot be funded by the government, especially developing countries. For instance, developing countries need a huge amount of money for infrastructure development; that's why the government is unable to provide investment for medical research. At this point private companies are the key sectors that keep research relevant.

Furthermore, the government should make policy that offers healthy competition for medical growth. For example, allowing tax reduction for the pharmaceutical active ingredients and excipients to all the registered companies in the country. Due to the emergence of antimicrobial resistance and various virus outbreaks, the medical world is on the verge of difficulties. At this time, the government cannot alone stand tall. We need various research for the invention of novel drugs that work effectively. Conflict of interest can be reduced by the proper investigation and inspection of the research by the government.

In conclusion, bias may arise when medical research is funded by private companies, but the government cannot alone conduct all the medical research. With proper inspection by governmental bodies, medical research can be conducted by individuals and private companies.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.0
Coherence and Cohesion6.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall6.0

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all parts of the prompt by presenting a clear position that private funding is necessary due to the limitations of government budgets. Your ideas are relevant and supported by examples, such as the high cost of drug development and the role of government oversight. However, the development is somewhat limited; while you mention that individuals could also conduct research, you do not fully explore the role of individuals compared to the other two sectors. To reach a higher band, ensure that each stakeholder mentioned in the prompt is given balanced consideration or a clear justification for why they are less suitable.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'For instance', and 'In conclusion' to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the progression of ideas within the second paragraph could be smoother. For example, the shift from discussing pharmaceutical companies to government policy on tax reduction is a bit abrupt. Improving the flow between sentences by using more varied referencing and linking phrases would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, including terms like 'contemporary time', 'pharmaceutical active ingredients', and 'antimicrobial resistance'. There are some instances of slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'stand tall' or 'private groups'. While your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher bands. To improve, focus on using more academic collocations and precise terminology to express complex ideas, rather than relying on general descriptors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this level. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'the government cannot alone sustain' (word order) and 'the government cannot alone stand tall' (awkward phrasing). Additionally, there are minor issues with article usage and pluralization, such as 'the government is unable to provide investment for medical research' (should be 'investments' or 'funding'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on refining sentence structure and ensuring subject-verb agreement.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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