Many businesses find it very difficult to assign enough time and resources to research and development. What could a government do to encourage more company spending in this area?
Sample Response
With the increasing complexity in the field of science and technology, it has been proved that in order to survive in this global economy, businesses should spend more in the field of research. However, most of the times, companies find it difficult to allocate adequate resources to research and development. In this essay, we will discuss how the government could play an essential role to encourage companies spending in this area. Firstly, the governments could allocate a special grant/aid for the research in their field of interest, this way they can attract potential researchers in the field in doing so both business and country would benefit. As we know about government grants in European countries for research in every field of science, commerce and technology. Secondly, governments could arrange a poster presentation competition, awarding the successful candidates with the opportunity to study further as well as of publishing their work in some reputable journal. For instance, government-funded poster competitions occur in every public sector business school in Karachi each year. This has provided opportunities to the bright candidates and has yielded us with an invaluable amount of research in this sector. Moreover, legislators could arrange finances from other foreign investors in their desired field of interests. As for example, African countries received funds from US government for carrying out researches in the fields of science and commerce. Overall I believe that research is pivotal for any nation's development and there are several ways through which governments can play their essential role in solving the issue of resources.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Avoid unsupported certainty Original: it has been proved Suggested revision: it is clear Why it matters: This wording states the point directly without implying that formal proof has already been presented.
- 2. Use fixed expression Original: most of the times Suggested revision: most of the time Why it matters: The standard expression for a general frequency is 'most of the time'.
- 3. Correct verb pattern Original: play an essential role to encourage Suggested revision: play an essential role in encouraging Why it matters: The noun 'role' takes 'in' followed by a gerund in this construction.
- 4. Use noun modifier Original: companies spending Suggested revision: company spending Why it matters: The singular noun 'company' functions naturally as the modifier of 'spending'.
- 5. Remove unnecessary article Original: the governments Suggested revision: governments Why it matters: A plural noun used to make a general statement does not need 'the'.
- 6. Use formal wording Original: grant/aid Suggested revision: grant or other financial aid Why it matters: Writing out the relationship is clearer and more formal than using a slash.
- 7. Remove unnecessary article Original: for the research Suggested revision: for research Why it matters: 'Research' is uncountable here and does not require the definite article.
- 8. Fix comma splice Original: , this way Suggested revision: ; in this way, Why it matters: A semicolon correctly separates the two independent clauses, and the introductory phrase needs a comma.
- 9. Clarify plural reference Original: in doing so both business and country would benefit Suggested revision: and in doing so, both businesses and the country would benefit Why it matters: The added conjunction and determiner make the clause complete and its participants clear.
- 10. Make structure parallel Original: as well as of publishing Suggested revision: as well as to publish Why it matters: The coordinated opportunities should use parallel infinitive forms.
- 11. Choose natural determiner Original: some reputable journal Suggested revision: a reputable journal Why it matters: The singular count noun takes 'a' when no particular journal is identified.
- 12. Correct collocation Original: opportunities to the bright candidates Suggested revision: opportunities for promising candidates Why it matters: 'Opportunities for' is the correct collocation, while 'promising' is more natural for candidates.
Suggested Rewrites
- it has been proved it is clear
- most of the times most of the time
- play an essential role to encourage play an essential role in encouraging
- companies spending company spending
- the governments governments
- grant/aid grant or other financial aid
Why this response received Band 6.0
The response presents several relevant ways governments could support research, especially grants and external funding, and it remains focused on the question. However, some proposals target researchers or general research activity rather than directly encouraging company spending, while examples are asserted rather than fully explained. Prioritise two clearly business-focused measures and develop how each would change firms’ incentives and investment decisions.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Detailed feedback by IELTS writing criterion after the annotated essay.
Task Response
The response offers several relevant government measures, but some are only indirectly connected to increasing company spending and are insufficiently developed.
Select two measures that directly affect business investment and explain the incentive mechanism and likely result for each.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas follow a recognisable sequence with clear signposting, although some loosely connected sentences and overloaded structures weaken progression.
Group each measure with its explanation and example in a distinct paragraph, using clearer sentence boundaries.
Lexical Resource
The response uses an adequate range of research and funding vocabulary, but several word choices and collocations are awkward or imprecise.
Use more precise combinations such as research funding, business investment, and fields of interest, and avoid nonstandard plurals such as researches.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A mixture of simple and complex structures is attempted, but frequent errors with articles, agreement, prepositions, and sentence boundaries reduce control.
Edit complex sentences into well-punctuated clauses and check articles, singular-plural agreement, and verb patterns systematically.
Use this task for your next draft
Feedback is more useful when you actively apply it in a draft, rather than only recognising improvements on the page.
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.
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