Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-30

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)

Most of the medical research projects are funded by private companies nowadays. I would argue that research should be carried out by private organizations because they have the latest tools, technologies and highly educated researchers.

On the one hand, some people believe that research should be carried out by the government, because they do not have any budget issues. Furthermore, the government can do research on a large scale. The majority of people also think that the research does not benefit the government on a large scale and it is unprofitable. For instance, the government should give funds to universities and research centers to do research on a specific topic. The government should do research on rare diseases which are found in some people, so that they can treat their disease and make their life much better. Individuals can also do research to help the government and private companies. Individuals can find the solution to a problem and then they are tested by private companies and the government labs.

On the other hand, most people agree that research should be done by private companies because they do not have any financial constraints. Moreover, they are ready to invest more and more on research because they want to make profit from their research at the end. Private companies have also advanced labs and highly educated researchers to perform their work in a much better way. For example, at the time of COVID-19 many private companies invested a lot of money to develop vaccines for the disease. Private companies are always competing with other companies so that they can find a better vaccine for cancer patients.

To conclude, I totally agree that research should be carried out by private companies because they can invest more in research and have advanced technologies and labs. The government and individual researchers can also benefit the research work.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, clearly stating a position in favor of private companies. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. While the argument for private companies is supported by the example of COVID-19 vaccines, the discussion regarding the government and individuals is less focused. The essay tends to over-generalize, such as the claim that the government does not benefit from research, which is a debatable point that could have been nuanced further. To reach a higher band, ensure that each body paragraph provides a more balanced exploration of the prompt's requirements, specifically by deepening the analysis of why government or individual contributions might be limited or necessary in specific contexts.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different viewpoints. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'Furthermore', and 'To conclude' are used to guide the reader through the argument. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the flow between the role of individuals and the role of the government in the first body paragraph is a bit disjointed. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would enhance the overall cohesion of the piece.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to express their ideas clearly. There is an attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'financial constraints', 'invest', and 'advanced technologies'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a tendency to repeat words like 'research', 'companies', and 'government' frequently. To improve, the student should incorporate more synonyms and collocations to avoid repetition and demonstrate a more sophisticated command of language. For example, instead of repeating 'do research', using 'conduct scientific inquiry' or 'undertake clinical studies' would elevate the lexical profile.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are occasional grammatical errors, such as 'make their life much better' (should be plural 'lives') and 'invest more and more on research' (should be 'in research'). Punctuation is generally accurate, but the sentence variety could be improved by using more complex subordinate clauses. The majority of sentences are error-free, and the errors present do not impede communication, which aligns with the criteria for a band 6.5 or 7.0. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and preposition usage will help improve accuracy.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.