Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-27

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 7.5)

Medical research plays a crucial role in improving public health and developing new treatments. Although private companies and individuals can make valuable contributions to medical research, I believe that governments should have the primary responsibility for funding and conducting it.

The main reason for government involvement is that medical research often requires enormous amounts of money and may take many years before producing useful results. Governments can provide stable, long-term funding for research that may not generate immediate financial returns. For example, research into rare diseases may not be attractive to private companies because the potential market for a treatment is relatively small. However, governments can support such research because its purpose is to improve public health rather than simply generate profit.

Private companies also have an important role to play. They generally have access to advanced technology, specialized researchers and substantial financial resources. Furthermore, competition between pharmaceutical companies can encourage them to develop new medicines more quickly. For instance, companies may invest heavily in developing treatments for diseases that affect millions of people because there is sufficient demand for these products. However, private research can sometimes be influenced by commercial interests, meaning that profitable areas may receive more attention than less profitable but equally important ones.

Individuals, including independent scientists and researchers, can also contribute innovative ideas. Nevertheless, conducting large-scale medical research usually requires expensive laboratories, specialized equipment and teams of experts, which are difficult for individuals to finance independently.

In conclusion, government should play the central role in medical research because it can prioritize public health and support research that may not be commercially profitable. Nevertheless, private companies and individual researchers should continue to participate, as their investment, technology and ideas can complement government-funded research.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The response fully addresses all parts of the task by discussing private companies, individuals, and governments, while clearly stating a personal position in favour of government-led funding. The argument is well-developed across the body paragraphs, where the student provides strong logical reasoning and relevant examples, such as comparing the financial viability of treatments for rare diseases versus mass-market drugs. The position is maintained consistently from the introduction to the conclusion, demonstrating a thorough understanding of the prompt requirements. Ideas are extended with appropriate explanations, ensuring the task is covered comprehensively without straying off-topic. Based on the official band descriptors, this performance comfortably meets the criteria for Band 7.5 to 8.0, showcasing well-supported arguments and clear task fulfillment.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5

The essay displays a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct central topic, starting with the government's role, moving to private companies, and then considering independent individuals. Cohesive devices are used effectively and naturally, such as 'Although', 'Furthermore', 'For instance', and 'In conclusion', ensuring smooth transitions between sentences and paragraphs. Paragraphing is managed appropriately to separate distinct aspects of the prompt. While referencing and substitution are functional rather than advanced, the overall logical flow and structural clarity meet the standards of a strong Band 7.5 to 8.0.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient and generally flexible range of vocabulary suited to an academic discussion on medical research. Less common lexical items are used with some awareness of style and collocation, including phrases such as 'public health', 'stable, long-term funding', 'immediate financial returns', and 'commercial interests'. Word choice is mostly precise, and spelling is accurate throughout the text. While the vocabulary is not overly sophisticated or rare enough to push into the highest bands, it easily satisfies the Band 7 requirements by being accurate, natural, and appropriate for the task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.5

The writer employs a good variety of complex structures alongside simple forms, showing good control of grammar and punctuation. Examples of complex structures include concessive clauses ('Although private companies...'), conditional meanings, and relative clauses ('research that may not generate immediate financial returns'). The majority of sentences are error-free, and minor slips are virtually absent. Punctuation is handled correctly to separate clauses and list items. This level of grammatical control and sentence variety aligns well with the Band 8 descriptor, as the text exhibits high accuracy and structural flexibility.

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