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)

As far as this topic is concerned, i agree that nowadays a great deal of research are conducted by private companies which generally be consider beneficial while not ignoring the role of government and individuals in this particular sector.

Private companies invest their funds in research projects in order to get financial benefits. Which results in lesser the burden on government financially and allows government to focus on other issues. Private companies are always in competition with their rival companies in research field to obtain the desired research results more efficiently. Its helps in a better outcome which eventually beneficial for overall society.

However, some people argue that government and individuals researchers should take up this initiative in order to keep the fairness in research outcome. Private companies sometimes dictate the overall research project. On the other hand, individuals are more competent to perform better in this field because they are not liable to find out any bias research result.

Government should also regulate research projects that are carried out by private sector

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, reaching only 173 words. This significantly impacts the development of ideas. While you address the prompt by discussing private companies, government, and individuals, the arguments are underdeveloped. For instance, you mention that individuals are 'more competent' but fail to provide a concrete example or logical explanation as to why this is the case. To improve, you must expand on your points with specific examples and ensure you reach the required length to allow for a full exploration of the topic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and limited. Transitions like 'On the other hand' and 'However' are used, but the flow between sentences is occasionally disjointed. For example, the final sentence of the second paragraph, 'Its helps in a better outcome which eventually beneficial for overall society,' lacks a clear connection to the preceding sentence. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for a higher band. You rely on basic phrasing such as 'get financial benefits' and 'perform better.' There are also some issues with word forms, such as 'lesser the burden' (should be 'lessen') and 'bias research result' (should be 'biased'). To improve, you should aim to incorporate more academic collocations and precise terminology related to research and funding, such as 'commercial interests,' 'public accountability,' or 'scientific integrity.'

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues like 'research are conducted' (should be 'is') and 'companies which generally be consider' (should be 'are considered'). Additionally, there are punctuation and sentence structure errors, such as starting a sentence with 'Which results in...' and missing articles. While you attempt some complex structures, they are often inaccurate. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for subject-verb agreement and verb forms will help improve your accuracy.

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

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