Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-01

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 8.0)

Nowadays, a large proportion of medical research is funded by private companies. While private organisations can make a valuable contribution to medical science, I believe that governments should have the primary responsibility for funding and conducting medical research, with support from private companies and individuals.

There are several advantages to private companies being involved in medical research. The most important is that they often have substantial financial resources and can invest large amounts of money in developing new medicines and treatments. Furthermore, private companies usually have strong incentives to produce results quickly because successful products can generate significant profits. This can lead to faster development of new drugs and medical technologies. For example, pharmaceutical companies have played an important role in developing treatments for numerous diseases.

However, relying too heavily on private companies can create problems. Since their main objective is generally to make a profit, they may prefer research into diseases that affect large numbers of people or treatments that can be sold at high prices. Less profitable areas, such as rare diseases or illnesses that mainly affect poorer populations, may receive less attention. There is also a risk that commercial interests could influence which research projects are selected and how their results are presented.

For these reasons, governments should take the leading role in medical research. Public funding can support research based on social and public-health needs rather than commercial profitability. Governments can also establish ethical standards, monitor clinical trials and ensure that important discoveries are made available to the wider population. At the same time, cooperation with private companies can provide additional funding, specialist knowledge and technological expertise. Individuals can also contribute through donations and charitable organisations, particularly in areas that may otherwise receive insufficient funding.

In conclusion, private companies and individuals can make valuable contributions to medical research, but governments should have the main responsibility. A combination of public funding, private investment and charitable support would allow medical research to serve both scientific and wider social needs.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 8.0

The response covers all parts of the task well and presents a fully developed, well-supported position. The introduction clearly states your stance that governments should lead medical research with support from private entities and individuals. Each body paragraph logically builds upon this argument, first acknowledging the benefits of private funding such as financial strength and speed of development, then balancing this by discussing the limitations, including the risk of neglecting rare diseases. Finally, the role of government oversight combined with public-private cooperation is logically integrated. Ideas are extended with relevant examples, such as the mention of pharmaceutical companies, demonstrating a strong, comprehensive approach to the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 8.0

Ideas are logically sequenced throughout the essay, guiding the reader smoothly from the introduction to the conclusion. All aspects of cohesion are well managed using a variety of appropriate transition signals such as 'Furthermore', 'However', and 'For these reasons' without any mechanical feel or over-use. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, with each paragraph focusing on a distinct central theme—the advantages of private funding, the disadvantages, the justification for government intervention, and the concluding synthesis. Referencing and substitution are handled seamlessly, contributing to the overall clarity and logical progression of your argument.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.5

The essay demonstrates a wide, fluent, and flexible range of vocabulary suited to an academic discussion. Less common lexical items are used skilfully and naturally, such as 'substantial financial resources', 'commercial profitability', and 'ethical standards'. Word choice and collocations are generally precise, with only occasional minor inaccuracies. Spelling and word formation are consistently accurate. To achieve an even higher standard, you could incorporate more sophisticated idiomatic academic phrases or less common paraphrasing, though your current lexicon successfully conveys precise meaning with good stylistic awareness.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 8.0

A wide range of complex sentence structures is used effectively throughout the response, including conditional and subordinate clauses. The majority of sentences are completely error-free, and you maintain a high level of control over verb tenses, subject-verb agreement, articles, and prepositions within grammatical patterns. Minor slips are exceedingly rare and do not impede communication in any way. Punctuation is handled correctly to structure longer, multi-clause sentences. This strong control over diverse syntactic forms reflects a high degree of grammatical accuracy.

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