Some people think that the government is wasting money on the arts and this money could be better spent elsewhere. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Same questionCompare 4 different answers (Band 6.5–7.5)

Sample Response

1

There are various areas of government expenditure that suffer from a lack of substantial monetary investment. In such situationsIn situations like these, the administration must manage its resources sensiblysensible resource management must be followed by the administration to allocate necessary funds to the sectors in need. It is widely believed that public facilities and infrastructure should be given higher priority than the fine artsgiven more priority instead of fine arts when allocating government resourceswhen it comes to the utilization of government resources. I strongly support this viewI am a strong supporter of this belief as urban services serve a more crucial purpose than the artsartistic agencies.

2

A considerable proportion of the population depends heavily onis greatly dependent on government-provided services. These amenities are crucial to the smooth functioning of ordinary citizens’ livesa crucial aid to the smooth functioning of an ordinary citizen’s life. Furthermore, the dependence on such facilities is more prevalent in lower-income countriesthird-world countries like India, Brazil, and China, where the income of most of the populationthe general income of a majority of the populace makes private services unaffordable. Thus, bearing in mind the necessities of the people at the societal levelon a macro-level, the public-sector merits extensive financial backing.

3

Additionally, we mustAdditionally, we must also address the fact that creative activities like drama and music are only possible when the basic needs are adequately fulfilled. If there is a deficiency in the physical and mental well-being of an individual, no matter how impressive the artwork is, it will fail to evoke any response from that personignite any stimulus within that person. Thus, it is vital to enhance the standard of living of the population before improving the quality of the artsrefining the quality of arts, as artistic pursuitsdemands are always secondary to rudimentary needs.

4

Nevertheless, the value of creative work cannot be disregarded entirely as all the artforms collectively form an industry that is vital to the economy. However, this trade has the support of numerous wealthy individuals and organizations, thereby do not require much assistance from the government.

5

Finally, the framework of government services requires fiscal reform. Thus, the authorities should recognize these obligations and concentrate their resources on the public sector.

Overall assessment

Why this response received Band 7.5

The response presents a clear, consistently maintained position and develops its case through logically sequenced arguments about public services, basic needs, and limited private support for the arts. Its main limitation is that several claims remain broad or asserted rather than illustrated, especially the claim that arts organizations do not need public funding. The highest-priority improvement is to support the central comparisons with specific, well-explained evidence.

Band score breakdown

IELTS Writing Criteria Scores

TR

Task Response

7.5
Scoring rule

The position is clear throughout, and the main reasons are relevant and substantially developed.

Next step

Support the broader claims about public need and private arts funding with specific, fully explained evidence.

CC

Coherence and Cohesion

8.0
Scoring rule

Ideas progress logically through well-focused paragraphs, and cohesive devices make the argument easy to follow.

Next step

Vary the transitions between claims so that the progression feels less reliant on repeated concluding linkers.

LR

Lexical Resource

7.5
Scoring rule

A wide and generally precise vocabulary supports nuanced discussion of public expenditure and social priorities.

Next step

Replace strained combinations such as references to artistic agencies and igniting a stimulus with more natural academic phrasing.

GRA

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

7.5
Scoring rule

Complex structures are used flexibly and accurately across most of the response, with meaning consistently clear.

Next step

Check agreement and clause control in long sentences, especially constructions introduced by thereby.

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IELTS Writing Task 2

Some people think that the government is wasting money on the arts and this money could be better spent elsewhere. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Your response

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