In today’s world, private companies rather than the government pay for and conduct most scientific research. Do you think the advantages outweigh disadvantages?: IELTS Writng Task

Bhargavee Sisodia

19 Nov 2024

If you are new to the IELTS test, know that it is known to be the most widely accepted language proficiency test for students and professionals aspiring to immigrate. It measures language ability through reading, writing, speaking, and listening tests. Organized as separate forms, i.e., general training (working professionals) and academic tests (students), the structure of writing task 2 in the writing assessment remains the same, although there are variations in the topics.  Now let us look at the constituents and criteria to write Task 2 before going through a few samples based on band criteria. 

Types of Essay in IELTS Writing Task

In the Writing Task 2, the essay that you will be crafting for IELTS Writing Task 2 will be on an assigned topic. For the same, some approaches and structures are different and depend on the type of question presented. In the following section, there is a list of essay types that you must get familiar with:

Opinion essay: 

These essays, often referred to as ‘agree/disagree’ or ‘argumentative’ essays, constitute a prevalent category in IELTS Writing Task 2. You will find that the initial segment of the prompt will present a declarative statement, and you will be expected to articulate and defend your stance on the issue at hand.

Balanced opinion essay:

In a balanced opinion essay, you will present and evaluate both sides of an argument or issue without strongly favoring one side over the other. The goal is to provide a fair and unbiased analysis, allowing the examiner to understand the complexities and nuances of the topic. 

Discussion essay:

For this type of essay, you will delve into both facets of an argument with nuance and depth. It is your part to gather evidence to support both sides and hat can be from experience, knowledge or research studies. Also, you will be asked to articulate your personal stance.

Advantage/Disadvantages essay:

In this type of essay, you will be asked to point out the advantages and disadvantages of a certain topic. In the process, your essay will be the way to showcase your ability to analyze the advantages of a particular issue or situation. You can be asked to simply discuss the advantages and disadvantages, as well as give your opinion if the advantages outweigh the disadvantages or vice versa in what is known as ‘outweigh essays’. 

Problem/ Solution essay: 

For a cause/effect or problem/ solution essay, you will be asked to write on the causes of the problem and give solutions to the issue. However, sometimes you will be asked only to write the problems of the given issue. 

Two-question essay: 

There will be separate questions, two to three on the same topic, which yo will respond to one after another in separate body paragraphs. It is safe to include main points for each of the questions. 

What is the assessment criteria for the IELTS Writing Task 2? 

IELTS Writing Task 2 Topic:

In today’s world, private companies rather than the government pay for and conduct most scientific research. Do you think the advantages outweigh disadvantages?

How to identify the type of essay question? 

As per the given prompt, you should first identify the essay question. To go forth, you will see the instruction words that come after the statement which in this particular sample is ‘Do you think the advantages outweigh disadvantages’, which requires you to address the advantages and disadvantages of the given topic. This clearly states that it is an advantage/ disadvantage essay. 

Earlier you have been acquainted with how there are two types of advantages/disadvantages essay, one where you are asked to elucidate on the merits and demerits while the other type asks your opinion if the merits of an issue outweigh the demerits. In this case, you must be adhering to a different approach while writing the essay. 

One Advantage and Disadvantage or Two for Advantage/ Disadvantage Essay? 

When faced with essay questions that specify multiple advantages and disadvantages, it's essential to approach them strategically. It is just that the prompt may require discussing several pros and cons, but addressing just one of each is often sufficient to meet the word count and ensure a thorough development of each point. By focusing on a single advantage and disadvantage, you can craft a well-rounded essay of around 250 words, thoroughly explaining and exemplifying your arguments. Doing this allows for deeper exploration of each point, enhancing clarity and impact. 

If the essay is not crisp and concise, covering two advantages and two disadvantages may push the word count closer to 400 words, which can be challenging to complete within the 40-minute time limit. Opting for a more focused approach, such as discussing one advantage and one disadvantage, reduces the risk of incomplete or underdeveloped points. 

However, for those who feel comfortable managing multiple ideas, writing about two of each is viable, provided you have sufficient time for planning and elaboration. To incorporate multiple advantages and disadvantages without making it too long, employing a structure where you include specific examples can be best. It allows for a clear, concise presentation of various points, aligning with different essay requirements and personal writing preferences. 

After all, whether you choose to elaborate on one or multiple points, ensuring that each argument is well-supported and clearly articulated is key to producing a well-organized and persuasive essay.  

As you are familiar with the type of essay to be written, the next step is to understand the structure of this type of advantage/ disadvantage essay. 

Structure of Advantage/ Disadvantage Essay

• Introduction: Paraphrase the question, and determine if the advantages weigh over disadvantages. 
• Body 1:  State the advantages and include examples, and evidence. 
• Body 2: Present the disadvantages but proceed with the decision how the advantages carry greater weight. 
• Body 3 (Optional) :  Use the third body paragraph to break up the preceding paragraphs if necessary.
• Conclusion: Restate your position and write a compelling response to show that the reader understands how the benefits outweigh or vice versa. 

Sample Answers

Band 6

An ongoing debate on private corporations is that they lessen the responsibleness of govt. for conduction of scientific study as they do most of t. Although the scene has pros and con, the advantages side cannot be ignore if the drawback are considered. 

The private enterprises have dominated scientific based activities which were earlier were under the duties of goverment agencies. Due to change, it lower financial burden on government money but has increased high level of discovery which are hard to get at public organization effort as they do not spend most money. The private firms also use advance technologies and practices that make the impact small when it is overusing environmental resources. Private companies in such research help in produce of a lot of outcome such as cost-effectiv and more sustainable, which are value adding; rather than traditional government-led research.

Seeing the advantages of private companies taking over scientific research without depend on government funding, there remain considerable negative. One issue is not each private firms do research under strict rules. Some companies also join in not-so-ethical practice and sell their research to other with bad intent and get profit. In the process, there are risk that if the research is use for a bad purpose then it may destroy and led problematic in society. So, the participation of many private company for scientific innovation requires supervise and regulation that can remove probable negative results. 

Over anything, the downsides to allow private companies to do research but not with government funds and resource is an advantage for society more than government money's upside. 

Comments on the essay: In bold, the lack of coherence (eg. government money’ upside) and cohesion is shown as transitional devices are missing, and there is an abrupt beginning of certain statements which disrupts readability and flow. In italics, highlight is made to show the inappropriacy in word usage, incorrect words, missing determiners, and spelling mistakes, that come under lexical resource. Both italic and underline state that there are punctuation, tense, and plural noun mistakes that come under grammatical range and accuracy throughout the essay. Otherwise, the prompt is understood and there is effort in the development of relevant ideas. 

Band 7

In today's world, private organization are investing more to carry scientific research when comparing with the government sector. I agree the private companies offering more convenient and efficient processes, and they help push the bounds with including the best research projects even though, there are only minor demerits to take into consideration.

One major benefit in private companies leading and financing scientific research is the fast availability of products in market. Having strict deadline, and performance goals, they are supported by a culture that encourage productivity and efficient work which increases speed. Moreover, private firms push their ability in competition for international projects. An example is during COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine research grant was awarded to several private companies only for their advanced research skills and efficient production. Just like that, there was public-private partnership that focused on Covid-19 forming more vaccines and treatments.

There were successful attempts in finding high-quality research and products that saved people's lives. 

Private companies who lead scientific research might give rise to higher product price and less accessibility. As the firms need to recover the cost connected with research and innovation, they seek profit because there are no benefits of subsidies unlike products produced from the government. Higher costs lead to products being available only in select regions or to a category of customers only creating finance-based barriers and reducing public access. However, government-funded research is slow and sometimes compromise on the quality which is risky if people want to consume a product. Most of the time, threat to life is a questionable factor brought about by government-funded research. 

In conclusion, research done by private organizations to build product even if they have higher costs is not such an issue if the benefits and quality are weighed on.

Comments on the essay: The development and flow of ideas is good. Better words and synonyms could be used to make it accurate in terms of meanings, which are denoted with italics for lexical resources. There are no such spelling errors. There could be specific cohesive devices in use which are highlighted in bold. Grammatical errors are visible which are shown in italics and underline, although there are mixed sentences in use. 

Band 9

In contemporary times, private companies have emerged as the predominant financiers of scientific research, eclipsing traditional governmental contributions. These organizations are distinguished by their streamlined methodologies and operational efficiency, which prompt forward-thinking innovations and facilitate groundbreaking research. Although there are some minor drawbacks to consider, the substantial benefits of private sector involvement in advancing scientific inquiry are pronounced. 

Significantly, the funding and implementation of research by private enterprises can offer ample advantages. The private companies unlike the government are driven by profit motives, thereby enhancing their incentive to economize on research-oriented expenditures. Consequently, they are more apt to ensure that their researchers and employees do not squander resources, such as time and financial assets. This heightened efficiency frequently culminates in the swifter, more potent, and more economically viable realization of research objectives. This enhanced efficiency facilitates a more expeditious, effective, and economically prudent attainment of research objectives. Furthermore, shifting scientific research to the private sector alleviates financial pressures on the national budget, permitting the utilization of funds in areas of importance such as education or infrastructure.

Contrarily, private research has some demerits as it may be tied to engaging in research on a specific topic. They may face constraints due to their focus on a specific sector, aiming only for results pertinent to their core activities. Additionally, company revenues might be adversely impacted as in-depth research requires substantial financial resources, including travel for the collection of data, prototype development, etc. Despite these drawbacks, private research drives employment as skilled personnel are necessitated to conduct research. On top of that, smaller-scale studies are known to deliver more reliable and accurate results. Besides, private investment in research allows companies to refine their operations to tackle challenges and cater to society. 

In summary, despite the noted disadvantages, I believe the advantages of delegating scientific research to private organizations far outweigh the drawbacks. The synergy between governments and corporations in research and development offers the potential to foster unparalleled progress and innovation. 

Conclusion 

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