Governments should spend more money on medical research and less on researching the environment. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Sample Response
Many believe governments today should prioritise funding for medical researchfunding for medicine over environmental studies. In my opinion, learning more about the environment is one way to inform policy regarding climate change, butclimate change but more money should be directed towards medical research.
Those advocating for increased focus on environmental researchincreased focus on the environment are eager to understand and counter the effects of climate change. There is arguably no greater threat facing the future of human civilisation than environmental degradationa degrading natural world. At the moment, billions are being poured into studies to understand how fast the polar ice caps are melting, what the impact will be, the damage to ecosystems, the interrelation between humans and these delicate ecosystems as well as the role of fossil fuels in aggravating climate change. There are wildly different theories about all these areas and some think the best utilisation of research grants is to give scientists free rein to study and collaborate in the hope of reaching a stronger consensuscoming to a stronger consensus, which can then shape international accords and domestic policy decisions.
Despite the force of the above argument, I believe health is a more tangible and pressing concern. There is constant disagreement amongfrom climate scientists and it is unclear if increased funding would be helpful or harmfula remedy or injury. Health research is unequivocally positive. Some of the many medical advances of the past several decadesadvances in health from the last several decades include increased understanding of mental illness, less invasive surgical proceduresless invasive procedures for surgery, better vaccines, and countless new iterations of advanced medical equipment. These are all put into practice immediately and save or improvebetter lives in every country around the world. More money for research now would enable medical innovationsopen up possibilities for new medical innovations that could involve experimentation with genetic modification and greater understanding of disease prevention.
In conclusion, making sense of climate change is important but nothing is more essential than one’s health. Governments ought to find ways to balance these competing interests but also be mindful of what most benefits their present citizenry.
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response offers a clear, nuanced position and develops both funding priorities through substantial, logically sequenced discussion, with fluent control of complex language. Its main limitation is occasional imprecision in claims and phrasing, especially the suggestion that medical research is unequivocally positive and expressions such as remedy or injury. Prioritise more carefully qualified reasoning and consistently natural word combinations to make the argument fully persuasive.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The response directly answers the question with a consistent preference for medical funding while acknowledging the importance of environmental research.
Qualify broad claims about the certainty and benefits of medical research and explain the proposed funding balance more precisely.
Coherence and Cohesion
Paragraphing, progression, and referencing are well controlled, with each stage of the argument serving a clear function.
Make the final recommendation more explicit so the conclusion resolves the balance introduced in the preceding discussion.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is wide-ranging and flexible, though a few choices such as remedy or injury and save or better lives are imprecise or unnatural.
Replace striking but awkward combinations with idiomatic expressions that preserve the argument's exact meaning.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The response demonstrates an extensive range of complex structures with consistently accurate grammar and punctuation.
Streamline occasional heavily extended sentences so each relationship remains immediately clear.
Write this task while it is fresh
Try the same task now. It helps you remember the feedback and write better next time.
IELTS Writing Task 2
Governments should spend more money on medical research and less on researching the environment. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.