Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-30

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)

In today's world, many medical research projects are funded by private companies. I completely agree that research should be carried out by private companies, individuals or government because this will boost the R&D sector and the overall development of a country. Also, this may help in developing more innovative solutions and helps the country to fight against any unexpected pandemic.

Firstly, research carried out by the government or private companies helps to boost the R&D sector of the country. If people from different groups perform research on the same topic, it is more likely to obtain an outcome in a minimum amount of time, which in turn boost the sector. Secondly, this view helps in the overall development of the country because of the different research performed by different groups. For example, if both private companies and the government perform different research, it can help in the development of the country by providing medicines of different diseases.

Additionally, this method helps in developing more effective solutions due to collaboration. If private companies, government and individuals work together as a team, they are more likely to develop effective medicines by offering fewer side effects. Furthermore, this helps the country to fight against unexpected pandemics. For instance, if a country is affected by a particular diasease, the private companies and the government can come forward and help to overcome this event.

In conclusion, I strongly agree that research should be carried out by private companies, individuals or government because it helps in the overall development of the country and can boost the R&D sector of a country. In addition, this view helps in developing effective outcomes and encourages a country to fight against any pandemic.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the task prompt, discussing whether research should be funded by private companies, individuals, or the government, and presents a clear position throughout. The candidate agrees that all these entities should be involved in funding and carrying out research, supporting this with reasons such as boosting the R&D sector, encouraging collaboration, and preparing for unexpected pandemics. However, some ideas feel a bit repetitive and under-developed, particularly regarding how individuals specifically contribute compared to large institutions. The arguments are generally relevant, but the lack of specific, well-rounded examples limits the depth of the discussion, placing this response at Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay is coherent overall with a clear, logical structure. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, starting with an introduction, followed by body paragraphs addressing R&D, development, and collaboration, and ending with a conclusion. The student uses standard cohesive devices effectively, such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'Additionally', and 'In conclusion'. However, referencing and paragraphing can sometimes feel a bit mechanical, and the logical progression between ideas in the second body paragraph could be smoother. Overall, the organizational framework meets the requirements for a Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms like 'innovative solutions', 'unexpected pandemic', 'overall development', and 'collaboration'. However, there are some minor word-choice and spelling errors, such as 'diasease' instead of 'disease', and a tendency to repeat basic phrases like 'private companies and the government'. While the student attempts less common lexical items, occasional inaccuracies prevent the vocabulary from reaching a higher band. This corresponds to a solid Band 6.0 for Lexical Resource.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating conditional structures like 'If people from different groups perform research...' and 'If private companies... work together...'. There are some grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, such as 'it is more likely to obtain an outcome' instead of 'outcomes are more likely to be obtained', and 'providing medicines of different diseases' instead of 'for different diseases'. Nonetheless, these errors do not impede communication, and the sentence structures demonstrate an adequate range for a Band 6.0.

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