Space exploration requires vast sums of money. Is the amount of money spent on space research justifiable? Could the money be better spent? What is your viewpoint on this issue?
Sample Response
There has always been considerable debateconsiderable discussion and debate about whether governments in many countries should spend taxpayers’ money on space research. In my view, it is impossible to justify the amount of money spent on space research. Generally speaking, the main reason for this position is that there are several areas in which the money could be better investedthe money could be invested better. When we have so many problems and people suffering from hunger on Earthhungry people in the Earth, spending money on space is not a justifiable choicenot a good choice at all.
First,The first point to make is that governments have a responsibility to spend public money on projects that benefit citizensbring a benefit to the citizens. This has not been the case with space research as most developments have been limited to helping astronauts in space or have been very specialised. For example, it is of little value to the general public thatnot of great value to the general public that we now have penspens and biros that can write upside down. This does not justifymerit the huge amount of money spent. Little success has been made so far on space exploration except landing on the Moon or knowing that Mars had once been a place for living being. What good that can bring to people who are starving in many countries?
Second,The second point to make is that there are many more urgent projectsmany much more urgent projects on Earth that require investment. If governments spent less money on space research, then they would be able to help solve some of these problems, such as population controlproblems such as population control, the eradication of diseases such as choleraelimination of diseases like cholera, global warming and food shortages. It seems to me that all of these issues are more important because they affect the lives of millions of ordinary people. For example,An illustration of this is that the US government could provide food for all the starving people in the world if itthey did not spend so much on NASA.
My conclusion is that politicians should not fund space research. The reasons are thatThe grounds for saying this are that it is very costly and provides fewlittle real benefits. Furthermore, there are several more urgent issues that need funding to be addressedissues that need to be funded.
Why this response received Band 7.0
The essay gives a clear and consistent view that space-research funding should be redirected to urgent problems on Earth, supported through two logically ordered reasons. Its main limitation is that several examples and claims are overstated or insufficiently accurate, which weakens an otherwise relevant argument, while some language errors reduce polish. The priority is to use credible evidence and acknowledge tangible benefits of space research before explaining why other spending should still take precedence.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The response directly answers all parts and develops a consistent case for alternative spending, but some examples are exaggerated and the benefits of space research are dismissed too broadly.
Acknowledge one genuine public benefit of space research, then use credible comparative evidence to show why urgent terrestrial needs deserve more funding.
Coherence and Cohesion
The four-paragraph structure and two clearly separated reasons create strong progression, with effective referencing and a focused conclusion.
Integrate the rhetorical question into the surrounding argument more smoothly and vary repeated announcing phrases such as 'The first point to make'.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied and generally precise for public spending and global problems, though several combinations are awkward or imprecise.
Use accurate phrases such as 'benefit citizens', 'achieve progress in space exploration', and 'support people facing hunger'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A range of complex structures is used successfully, but recurring article, agreement, preposition, and question-formation errors remain noticeable.
Proofread long sentences for article and agreement accuracy, and form embedded or rhetorical questions with standard word order.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Space exploration requires vast sums of money. Is the amount of money spent on space research justifiable? Could the money be better spent? What is your viewpoint on this issue?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.