Governments around the world are spending billions in support of space programs. This money would be better spent on research into improvements in human health. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
Sample Response
In recent years, there has been an ongoing debate about whether governments should continue to fund space programs or allocate these resources totowards research into improving human health. I completely agreeIn my opinion, I completely agree that the money spent on space programs would be better utilized to address critical health issues.
Firstly, there are countless health issues that continue to plague communities around the world. These issues include, but are not limited to,include but are not limited to, infectious diseases, cancer, mental health disorders, and drug addictioncancer, mental health, and drug addiction. With increased investmentWith the increased investment in the health sector, governments can allocate more funding to researchprovide more funds for research that could lead to better treatments and ultimately save lives. Moreover, advancements in healthcare technology and infrastructure are necessary to combat emerging diseases such as COVID-19 and other future pandemics.
Furthermore, space programs are incredibly costly and can consume a significant portion of a government's budget. For instance, the annual budget of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is approximately $25 billion. This is a considerable amount of money that could be better spent on improving healthcare services and facilities, especially in developing countries that are most affected by health crises. Most developed nations have similarly large budgetssimilar high budgets for space exploration, but manyspace exploration but many citizens in those countries lack basic healthcare support. Therefore, thisTherefore this is often seen as hypocrisy by many critics.
In conclusion, while space exploration may be exciting and interesting, the benefits of improving human health through the allocation of government funds far outweigh the benefits of space programs. Governments, around the world, therefore, prioritize the health and well-being of their citizens by investing in research and infrastructure that will help to combat health issues and improve healthcare outcomes.
Why this response received Band 8.0
The essay maintains a clear position and develops a persuasive comparison between urgent health needs and the opportunity cost of expensive space programmes, supported by a concrete budget example. Its main limitation is that the case against space funding is somewhat one-sided and includes a broad unsupported claim about developed nations, alongside minor grammatical lapses. The priority is to qualify that claim and briefly acknowledge why space spending may still have value.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The position is direct and consistently supported through relevant discussion of health priorities, research benefits and the opportunity cost of space budgets.
Qualify the broad claim about developed countries and briefly weigh a genuine benefit of space research before reaffirming the priority given to health.
Coherence and Cohesion
The argument progresses clearly from health needs to budget comparison and conclusion, with well-managed paragraphing and linking.
Integrate the final claim about hypocrisy more directly into the budget paragraph's reasoning rather than appending it as a separate judgment.
Lexical Resource
A wide, precise range of vocabulary supports discussion of public funding, health research and infrastructure with strong control.
Use more measured wording than "hypocrisy" unless the judgment is explicitly substantiated, and avoid minor repetition of "health issues".
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Complex structures are handled accurately overall, though a few punctuation lapses and the missing modal in the final recommendation reduce complete control.
Write "Governments should therefore prioritise" and remove unnecessary commas around "around the world" and after "limited to".
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Governments around the world are spending billions in support of space programs. This money would be better spent on research into improvements in human health. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.