Many people believe that scientific research should be carried out and controlled by the governments rather than private companies. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
Sample Response
At present, scientific research worldwidescientific research across the world is carried out and sometimes controlled by governments and sometimes by private companiescontrolled sometimes by governments, and sometimes by private companies. While there are some arguments in favour of corporate scientific researcharguments favouring scientific research by corporations, I agree that scientific research should be fundedthis should be funded and supervised by the state.
The private sector argues that it is willing to undertake scientific research, but there are two significant risks associated with thisdangers to this. In terms of the quality and objectivity of the researchthe research itself, corporations that conduct itcorporations that carry this out may be tempted to manipulate results in order to maximize profits. There have been numerous scandals as a result of new products being hastily introducedproducts being introduced hurriedly after inadequate trials. For example, thalidomide, developed by a German drug company, resulted in the birth of thousands of malformed children. From an ethical perspective, leaving research into areas such as genetic engineering in the hands of corporations may have profound social consequences -such as GM crops, with unproven effects which may destroy whole ecosystems as a result of meddling with nature.
Although governments have to allocate resources to many areas of public spending, it is essential that they be responsible for scientific research. Firstly, the highest standards can be set by providing funding for university departments to carry out high-quality research designed to benefit society, rather than to enter new marketsnot to break into new markets or gain a competitive edge. Knowledge thus gained can be shared throughoutworldwide throughout the academic community. Secondly, government-decision making is the best way to prioritize expenditure on specific areas of research, taking into consideration the needs of society, both present and future. One example is the development of renewable energy to meet growing demanddemands.
In conclusion, I agree strongly with the view that governments should bear sole responsibility for scientific research.
Why this response received Band 8.5
The response is focused, persuasive, and exceptionally well organised, with a clear position and specific examples supporting both the risks of corporate control and the benefits of state oversight. Its main limitation is that the counter-case is acknowledged only briefly, so the highest-value refinement would be to test the sole-responsibility conclusion against regulated private research while also polishing the few punctuation and modifier lapses.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
A clear position is sustained throughout and supported by well-developed, relevant arguments and specific examples.
Briefly engage with the strongest case for regulated private research to make the absolute conclusion even more compelling.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas progress smoothly through a purposeful paragraph sequence, with cohesive devices used naturally and effectively.
Make the transition from corporate risks to the case for government responsibility even more explicitly comparative.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is wide-ranging, precise, and appropriately academic, with strong control of topic-specific language.
Refine the few slightly loose expressions and modifier choices so every claim is as exact as the overall argument.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex structures is used accurately and flexibly, with only isolated lapses in punctuation and phrasing.
Polish spacing, hyphenation, and relative-clause attachment to remove the remaining minor distractions.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Many people believe that scientific research should be carried out and controlled by the governments rather than private companies. 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.