In today's world, private companies rather than the government pay for and conduct most scientific research.

Practice this IELTS Writing Task 2 question on IELTSX. In today's world, private companies rather than the government pay for and conduct most scientific research.

Private Companies vs Government Pay Scientific Research - IELTS Writing Task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Do you think the advantages outweigh disadvantages?

Write at least 250 words.

A student's answer to this task, and the feedback on it

Written by an IELTSX user under exam conditions and published unedited and anonymously. Band 7.5 ยท 256 words.

Nowadays, private companies invest increasingly in scientific research rather than the government. I strongly believe that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. This is because it accelerates innovation and allows people to adopt new technologies faster.

Private companies prioritize profitable research, which often leads to competition between companies and this incentivizes them to act more quickly than the government. For example, in recent years the attempt of private companies such as OpenAI, Google and Meta to outperform rivals has encouraged faster innovation of AI, which has now become an indispensable tool and an integral part of individuals' daily life. Competition between such companies encourages people to adopt new innovations faster than the government ever could. As a result, society benefits from new technologies more freely and much sooner than it would under a purely government-led research system.

On the other hand, as private companies are more focused on profit, they can avoid unprofitable but important research, which may have negative consequences. For instance, private companies such as Pfizer, BioNTech and Moderna concentrated only on solving common issues and diseases like COVID-19, while less common diseases were overlooked. Although focusing only on common issues leads to neglecting other critical health problems, the accelerated and useful innovations they provide to society far outweigh this drawback.

In conclusion, I believe that the growing role of private companies in scientific research is a positive development, as the advantages, such as providing more innovations and allowing people to use them much sooner, outweigh the disadvantages, such as neglecting important but unprofitable research.

Examiner feedback

This is a very strong essay that demonstrates high proficiency in English. The response is well-organized, uses sophisticated vocabulary, and maintains a clear, logical argument throughout. To improve the score further, the writer should focus on deepening the critical analysis when comparing advantages and disadvantages.

Task Response - 7

- Addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both the benefits of speed/innovation and the risks of profit-driven neglect. - Presents a clear position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. - While ideas are well-supported with relevant examples (AI and COVID-19 vaccines), the explanation of why* the benefits outweigh the drawbacks could be more deeply analyzed to reach the highest band.

Coherence & Cohesion - 8

- Information and ideas are sequenced logically with a clear progression from introduction to conclusion. - Paragraphing is used effectively, with each body paragraph focusing on a distinct aspect of the argument. - Cohesive devices such as 'On the other hand' and 'As a result' are used appropriately to link ideas, though transitions could be slightly more sophisticated to reach Band 9.

Lexical Resource - 8

- Displays a wide range of vocabulary (e.g., 'indispensable tool', 'incentivizes', 'outperform rivals', 'overlooked') used with flexibility. - Shows good awareness of collocation and style appropriate for an academic context. - Spelling and word formation are very accurate throughout the essay.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 8

- Uses a wide range of structures including complex subordinate clauses and passive constructions. - The majority of sentences are error-free, demonstrating high control over grammar and punctuation. - Minor awkwardness in phrasing (e.g., 'more freely') does not detract from the overall high level of accuracy.

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