Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

I strongly believe that multisectoral funding of medical research projects should not only be allowed but also significantly augmented in such a way that private companies, individuals, and governments at all levels are equally involved.

In all of documented history, the health and wellbeing of the people has always been regarded as a collective effort, whether it is from the discovery of antibiotics decades ago or the unveiling of the medical importance of stem cells in recent times. The private and public expense of resources in the advancement of medicine is one of the constants. Yet, the relatively recent rise of multinational pharmaceutical companies seems to be overshadowing the central role of multi-agent funding in medical research, with many people believing that even vast expenses of individual and government resources typically count for little in deterring the capitalistic tendencies of private companies after a big medical research breakthrough. Some also hold the opinion that individual medical funding efforts are often frustrated by the greed of private companies; hence, funding should be left as the exclusive domain of private corporations.

While such viewpoints are rife, they have little validity since they are based on the assumption that multi-agent funding still concentrates funding in the hands of private companies, who may claim breakthroughs for themselves despite receiving government funding. This assumption is not true, as government funding can empower government agencies and individuals such as academics to pursue medical research projects that can have as much global impact as those pursued by private companies. Additionally, government funding can further give opportunities to private companies to continue research in very niche and novel areas for which they may not have the internal funding capacity to pursue. Excluding individuals from funding research projects may also discourage the ability of private individuals to contribute to medical research from the periphery, which has often proven to be a very important contributor to the advancement of medical research.

In summary, although medical research funding is currently dominated by private companies, there should be a more collective approach to it, involving both private companies, individuals, and governments at all levels.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student presents a clear and well-developed position throughout the essay, directly addressing the prompt regarding who should fund medical research. Rather than choosing just one single entity, the writer argues for multisectoral involvement combining private companies, individuals, and governments. This stance is maintained consistently from the introduction to the conclusion. The ideas are extended with relevant supporting explanations, such as discussing how government funding empowers academics while private companies tackle niche novel areas. While the prompt asks for an opinion on whether research should be carried out by private companies, individuals, or government, the student interprets this as a call for combined funding rather than an exclusive choice, which is a fully valid and well-argued approach. The task is addressed thoroughly, meeting the criteria for a strong band score.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay displays a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Information and ideas are coherently structured, moving from an introduction outlining the student's stance to body paragraphs discussing opposing views, refuting them, and presenting supportive arguments, followed by a concise summary. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each body paragraph focusing on a distinct aspect of the argument. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, such as 'Yet', 'While such viewpoints are rife', 'Additionally', and 'In summary'. However, some sentences are quite long and dense, which occasionally makes the cohesive flow slightly heavy or mechanical, keeping the response at a solid band 7 level.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary with some flexibility and precision, employing less common items such as 'multisectoral funding', 'augmented', 'multinational pharmaceutical companies', and 'niche and novel areas'. Word choice and collocations are generally appropriate, as seen in phrases like 'collective effort' and 'exclusive domain'. There are occasional slight awkwardnesses or minor inaccuracies in collocation or phrasing, such as 'In all of documented history' instead of 'Throughout documented history', but these do not impede communication. The vocabulary deployed is adequate to convey complex arguments effectively, matching the band 7 descriptor.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The student makes effective use of a variety of complex structures, demonstrating good control of grammar. Sentences such as 'While such viewpoints are rife, they have little validity since they are based on the assumption that multi-agent funding still concentrates funding in the hands of private companies...' showcase the ability to handle subordinate clauses and extended noun phrases. There are frequent error-free sentences, and punctuation is generally handled well. Although minor slips occur—such as 'The private and public expense of resources' where 'expenditure' might be more natural—these errors are infrequent and do not impede communication, fully justifying a band 7.

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