Should wealthy nations be required to share their wealth among poorer nations by providing such things as food and education? Or is it the responsibility of the governments of poorer nations to look after their citizen themselves?
Sample Response
Our world is a very diverse place, and not always in a good way. There is a huge disproportion in terms of wealth and resources across different countries, and this state of affairs raises the question of whether richer nations should aid those less fortunate or rather let them address poverty themselvesfight their battle for themselves.
On the one hand, giving poor countries food, resources or money without getting anything in return, such as goods or services, may reduce their motivationis bound to remove any motivation for them to develop and to take action to improvedo something to improve their situation. This may create a vicious circle, similar to the common problem ofwhere some unemployed people abuse the welfare system by not even trying to find a job. This concern is one of the maintop reasons why some are convinced that it is the governments of poorer nations who should be responsible for the well-being of their citizens.
On the other hand, many people believe that helping countries that suffer from poverty is a moral duty and can benefit both rich and poor nations by making the world a better place. They argue that the right type of aid, particularly educationthe right type of aid, first of all, education, gives poor countries a chance to get back on their feet and start changing for the better. The question of whether charity is a good approachwhether the charity is a good approach to dealing with poverty has always been a matter of debate.
Personally, I think that although wealthy nations should not be obliged to help poorer countriesthe poorer ones, it seems like the right thing to do. Apart from humanitarian reasons, it can also bring about some political and economic benefits for donor countriesbenefits to the donors by creatingas they are creating a foundation for future cooperation and potential trade.
Why this response received Band 8.0
The essay handles both perspectives in a balanced, mature way and ends with a clear, nuanced position that distinguishes moral choice from legal obligation. Its main limitation is that the case for aid is less fully developed and includes a generic sentence about debate rather than further support. The highest-priority improvement is to deepen that side with a concrete example of effective educational aid and explain its long-term impact.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both alternatives are addressed with a clear personal position and relevant reasoning, though the argument for providing aid is developed less fully than the opposing case.
Extend the pro-aid argument with a specific example showing how education or targeted assistance creates sustainable development.
Coherence and Cohesion
The response is organised into well-focused paragraphs, and ideas progress smoothly through a controlled contrast to a nuanced conclusion.
Replace the generic final sentence of the third paragraph with a direct link from effective aid to the writer's final position.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is wide, precise, and natural, with effective expressions such as 'vicious circle', 'moral duty', and 'foundation for future cooperation'.
Refine the few less natural choices, particularly 'the charity' and 'one of the top reasons', to maintain consistently idiomatic phrasing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex structures is used accurately and flexibly, with only rare minor lapses that do not affect clarity.
Polish article use and reference in phrases such as 'whether charity is a good approach' for even greater accuracy.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Should wealthy nations be required to share their wealth among poorer nations by providing such things as food and education? Or is it the responsibility of the governments of poorer nations to look after their citizen themselves?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.