Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-26

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 6.5)

In my opinion, medical research is best carried out by private companies. I belief that private companies may have a bigger budget as compared to an individual, and a better moral compass than the government.

Expanding on the first point, it goes without saying that one singular individual may not have the budget necessary to carry out a well-rounded research, nor the access - one person's ability to access important information, people, and any other important variable, will logically be less than those of an entire private company.

However, it is not impossible for an individual to have an extraordinary budget, but even so, there remain a few other issues. In any proper scientific research, it is incredibly necessary to be as objective and accurate as possible. When there is an entire group of people working on a project, there is less capacity for subjectivity or bias beacuse there is a high possibility of one person pointing out those issues in another, if observed. When it is just a singular individual, their biases and subjective judgment may go unnoticed and possibly skew the results of the research.

These issues with individual research may also be solved by research carried out by the government - they may have a big budget, access, information, and a group carrying it out. Private companies may still be better than the government in the area of morality and purpose. Though both have the capacity for being immoral or self-serving, from my experience working within the government and observing their actions - most people in charge do things only when necessary or for a selfish gain. Private companies are instead more likely to have better intentions simply because of the fact that most people would not carry out or think of a research area they do not care about, the average person is not more selfish than a person with power.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The student addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing whether medical research should be funded by private companies, individuals, or the government, ultimately taking a clear position in favour of private companies. The position is maintained throughout the essay. Ideas are extended and supported, particularly when comparing individual research against group or company efforts regarding bias and budget constraints. For instance, the student notes that 'when there is an entire group of people working on a project, there is less capacity for subjectivity or bias.' While the argument regarding government morality versus private companies is slightly anecdotal, it nevertheless addresses the prompt's requirements adequately. The response meets the necessary task demands for Band 7.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay presents a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, moving smoothly from the introduction to individual limitations, objectivity in group research, and finally a comparison between government and private entities. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, such as 'Expanding on the first point,' 'However,' and 'These issues.' Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct strands of argument. Referencing is generally clear, though occasional mechanical transitions could be more seamlessly integrated to reach the highest bands. Overall, the structural flow is coherent and supports the progression of ideas effectively.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, allowing for some precision and discussion of abstract concepts like 'objectivity,' 'subjectivity,' and 'moral compass.' Less common items such as 'well-rounded research,' 'extraordinary budget,' and 'self-serving' are attempted with moderate success. However, there is a spelling error ('beacuse') and a minor grammatical/lexical slip in the opening sentence ('I belief' instead of 'I believe'). The vocabulary is adequate to convey the intended meanings without impeding the reader, placing the response solidly in the Band 6.0 to 6.5 range, leaning towards Band 6 due to occasional slips.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The writer employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over longer multi-clause sentences, such as 'When there is an entire group of people working on a project, there is less capacity for subjectivity or bias because there is a high possibility of one person pointing out those issues in another.' There are a few grammatical inaccuracies, most notably the spelling/word form error in 'I belief' at the beginning of the text, and some minor punctuation or phrasing clunkiness elsewhere. Nevertheless, the majority of sentences are clear and grammatically sound, meaning communication is never impeded. This performance aligns well with Band 6.5 descriptors.

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

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