Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-04

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, there has been a lot of talk about medical research. This essay will delve deeper into the possible punitive reasons, viewpoint, overviews, and advantages causing this scenario before presenting my school of thought in the ensuing paragraphs with sufficient and relevant examples.

At first glance, there are several reasons in support of my context, but the most obvious one is that Large pharmaceutical and technology companies can invest huge amounts of money. For examples, one survey conducted by "The Daily News" revealed that the majority of people are responsible for this phenomenon, while only a few are aware of it. As a result, it is clear why a large number of people agree with the aforementioned position.

My point is further supported by that the companies usually have fewer bureaucratic procedures than governments. Competition encourages companies to develop new medicines and treatments. A famous non-governmental organization has been working to overcome this situation, and they suggest that the government needs to spread awareness and educate people for the betterment of society. Thus, this will not only raise living standards but also make individuals more cautious and practical their approach.

On the other side, there are many disadvantages of the private funding like companies may focus on diseases affecting large, wealthy markets rather than rare diseases. Companies may focus on diseases affecting large, wealthy markets rather than rare diseases. A company may present research in a way that benefits its own products. Some important basic research may not generate immediate financial returns.

To recapitulate, it may be argued that, even though there are many causes, overviews, viewpoints, arguments, pros as well as negative of medical research projects are funded by private companies. Lastly, it seems to me that is a wise idea to use such options, and they are pragmatic as well for a human being on Earth. In order to foster global wealth, productivity, and a fine environment, citizens are urged to abide by the relevant laws and regulations.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses the prompt but struggles with clarity and focus. While you identify the role of private companies, the arguments are often vague or disconnected from the core question of who *should* fund research. For instance, the reference to 'The Daily News' is irrelevant and does not support your argument. Your position is not clearly established until the very end, and even then, it remains ambiguous ('it is a wise idea to use such options'). To improve, ensure each paragraph directly answers the prompt with clear, logical arguments rather than using filler phrases like 'punitive reasons' or 'school of thought', which do not add substance to your response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the progression of ideas is often disjointed. You use some cohesive devices like 'At first glance' and 'To recapitulate', but they are sometimes used incorrectly or mechanically. The introduction is particularly problematic, as it uses a string of academic-sounding words ('punitive reasons', 'viewpoint', 'overviews') that do not logically lead into the essay. Furthermore, the final paragraph is repetitive and fails to provide a clear summary of your position. Improving the logical flow between sentences and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus would significantly enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is somewhat limited and often misused. You frequently use 'academic' phrases that do not fit the context, such as 'punitive reasons' (which means related to punishment) and 'school of thought' (which is used inappropriately here). There is also repetition, such as the sentence about 'diseases affecting large, wealthy markets' appearing twice in the same paragraph. While you attempt to use some formal language, the lack of precision in word choice often obscures your intended meaning. Focus on using words that you are certain of and that accurately convey your specific points rather than trying to use complex-sounding terminology.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'My point is further supported by that the companies...' (incorrect structure), 'practical their approach' (missing preposition), and 'many causes, overviews, viewpoints, arguments, pros as well as negative' (grammatically incomplete). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the sentence construction often feels awkward or unnatural. To reach a higher band, you need to focus on subject-verb agreement, correct preposition usage, and ensuring that your complex sentences are grammatically sound. Proofreading for basic errors would help improve your 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.