Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-02

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)

These days alot of medical research is paid by the private companies. I think that is okay, but in my point off view the government should be the main one responsible, with the help from private companies and ordinary people.

The big advantage of private companies is money. They have huge budgets and the latest equipment, so they can develop new medicines and treatments much faster. We saw this during COVID when companies created vaccines in less than a year. Because companies compete with each other, they also try to be more innovative. But the problem is that companies care about profit. So they usually focus on diseases that rich people get, or on drugs they can sell for a lot of money. Diseases that affect poor countries, like malaria or TB, often get ignored because there’s not much money in them. That’s where the government needs to step in. Governments don’t have to worry about profit, so they can fund research that actually helps everyone, not just those who can afford it. Ordinary people and charities also help. For example, many cancer research projects are funded by donations from the public. To sum up, I believe the government should lead medical research to make sure everyone’s health is taken care of. Private companies and individuals can support it, and together this would be the fairest system.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by providing a clear opinion and supporting it with relevant arguments regarding the roles of private companies, government, and individuals. However, the essay is significantly under the 250-word minimum requirement (227 words), which negatively impacts the development of ideas. While the arguments are logical, they lack the depth and expansion expected at higher bands. The conclusion is clear, but the overall brevity prevents a fully developed discussion of the complex relationship between these three stakeholders. To improve, you must expand your supporting points with more detailed examples or analysis to meet the word count requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Ideas progress reasonably well from the benefits of private funding to the limitations and the necessity of government intervention. Cohesive devices such as 'but', 'so', 'because', and 'for example' are used to link ideas, though the range is somewhat limited and occasionally repetitive. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different aspects of the argument. To reach a higher band, you should aim for a wider variety of cohesive devices and ensure that transitions between sentences are more sophisticated and less mechanical.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'innovative', 'budgets', and 'vaccines'. However, there are some informal expressions such as 'alot' (which should be 'a lot') and 'in my point off view' (which should be 'from my point of view'). The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, and there is little evidence of less common or idiomatic language. To improve, focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and ensure correct spelling and collocation throughout your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'is paid by the private companies' (should be 'is funded by private companies') and 'in my point off view' (spelling error). Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence variety is somewhat basic. To achieve a higher score, you should aim to incorporate a wider range of complex grammatical structures, such as conditional sentences or passive voice constructions, while ensuring greater accuracy in your basic grammar and spelling.

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

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