Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-03
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)
Medical research projects plays a vital role in our society. In recent years, the private sector is increasingly providing money to numerous medical research speculations. In my opinion that government should be responsible for funding these medical research projects.
The main reason that government should fund the medical companies because a medical research provides advantage to everyone, so it should not be fully controlled by the private sector. For instance, the treatment for rare diseases may not be attractive to many individuals, because they don't make a large profit to them. The private sectors mainly focuses on gaining profit rather than spending a handsome amount of investment on a project that is in vain.
Moreover, the other reason is conducting medical experiments requires a huge amount of money which can be quite challenging for individuals to fund. On the other hand, the government can easily provide funds to the medical research centers to conduct experiments, with a stable amount of money. For example, the government can easily fund into vaccinations and treatment of those diseases which requires a heavy fund. Whereas, a private sector won't take a risk of such huge investment.
In conclusions, private sectors and individuals also play a crucial role in a country by funding many medical research. However, I believe that not only the private sectors should carry the burden of funding , the government should fund these kind of projects as it provides advantages to multiple citizens. Secondly they requires a large amount of stable investment which a private sector cannot afford.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The essay addresses the prompt by expressing a clear preference for government funding. However, the development of ideas is somewhat repetitive. While you mention that private companies focus on profit and the government can provide stability, these points are not fully extended with specific, nuanced examples. The argument remains a bit superficial, focusing on generalities rather than exploring the complexities of the issue. To reach a higher band, ensure that each paragraph introduces a distinct, well-supported point that directly answers the 'why' behind your opinion, rather than restating the same concept in different ways.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusions'. However, some of these are used mechanically, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the final paragraph where the transition between the roles of private sectors and the government feels slightly disjointed. The paragraphing is appropriate, but the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that each sentence builds logically upon the previous one.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for a higher band. You use some relevant terms like 'medical research', 'private sector', and 'vaccinations', but there is a reliance on simpler phrasing. Phrases like 'providing money' and 'handsome amount of investment' are slightly unnatural in this context. There are also some minor word-choice issues, such as 'medical research speculations', which is not the correct collocation. To improve, focus on using more academic collocations and precise terminology related to public policy and scientific funding.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
There is a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but the essay contains several grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. For example, 'Medical research projects plays' (subject-verb agreement), 'the government should fund the medical companies because a medical research provides' (article usage), and 'they requires' (subject-verb agreement). While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors in basic grammar prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. You should focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and article usage to ensure your writing is more accurate.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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