Give reasons for your answer You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
Write about the following topic:
Advanced medical treatments are generally expensive. People’s access to proper health care should not depend upon their level of income. All people have the right to access the best medicine available.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
You should write at least 250 words.
and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
You should write at least 250 words.
Sample Answer
(Time Taken: Approx. 30 minutes)
(Time Taken: Approx. 30 minutes)
In the world today, many people are suffering from terrible life-threatening diseases. Unfortunately adequate health care is often lacking - especially for those who are poor. It is very disappointing that individuals who are sick and in need of advanced medical treatments are not able to be treated due to their level of income.
It is clear that advanced medical treatments are expensive and someone must pay for them. Where does the money come from, who will pay the medical bills? Will the recipient of the health care fully appreciate the value of what they have been given? Will the sacrifice of the rich individual or country that has paid for their life-changing medical treatments be fully appreciated? These are difficult questions to fully answer but nothing of worth can be free, someone has to pay.
The overarching point however, must be the sanctity of human life. Surely a human life is worth more than a sum of money. Human life is precious and we must do all we can to save it. It is simply not good enough to say to an individual, “I could save your life but since you can not afford to pay me, you are going to die”. Unfortunately, this is the harsh reality in both the developed and developing world. Many people are dying because they cannot afford the advanced medical treatments needed to prolong their lives. Money should not determine who has the opportunity to live.
I believe that all people should have the right to access the best medicine available. However, those given access should be educated to appreciate the value of what they have been given, the value of the gift. How wealthy a person is should not determine if an individual lives or dies.
(294 words)
It is clear that advanced medical treatments are expensive and someone must pay for them. Where does the money come from, who will pay the medical bills? Will the recipient of the health care fully appreciate the value of what they have been given? Will the sacrifice of the rich individual or country that has paid for their life-changing medical treatments be fully appreciated? These are difficult questions to fully answer but nothing of worth can be free, someone has to pay.
The overarching point however, must be the sanctity of human life. Surely a human life is worth more than a sum of money. Human life is precious and we must do all we can to save it. It is simply not good enough to say to an individual, “I could save your life but since you can not afford to pay me, you are going to die”. Unfortunately, this is the harsh reality in both the developed and developing world. Many people are dying because they cannot afford the advanced medical treatments needed to prolong their lives. Money should not determine who has the opportunity to live.
I believe that all people should have the right to access the best medicine available. However, those given access should be educated to appreciate the value of what they have been given, the value of the gift. How wealthy a person is should not determine if an individual lives or dies.
(294 words)
Why this answer would score well
PARAGRAPH 1:
In the world today, many people are suffering from terrible life-threatening diseases. Unfortunately adequate health care is often lacking - especially for those who are poor. It is very disappointing that individuals who are sick and in need of advanced medical treatments are not able to be treated due to their level of income.
PARAGRAPH 1:
In the world today, many people are suffering from terrible life-threatening diseases. Unfortunately adequate health care is often lacking - especially for those who are poor. It is very disappointing that individuals who are sick and in need of advanced medical treatments are not able to be treated due to their level of income.
Notes:
The first paragraph is effective because it:
1. introduces the subject/topic
2. clearly demonstrates the writer’s point of view (thesis statement)
3. presents a general fact about the subject (life-threatening diseases)
4. uses the key words from the question without repeating them verbatim
5. demonstrates a good command of grammar, spelling and punctuation.
6. is long enough (around 50 words)
The first paragraph is effective because it:
1. introduces the subject/topic
2. clearly demonstrates the writer’s point of view (thesis statement)
3. presents a general fact about the subject (life-threatening diseases)
4. uses the key words from the question without repeating them verbatim
5. demonstrates a good command of grammar, spelling and punctuation.
6. is long enough (around 50 words)
PARAGRAPH 2:
It is clear that advanced medical treatments are expensive and someone must pay for them. Where does the money come from, who will pay the medical bills? Will the recipient of the health care fully appreciate the value of what they have been given? Will the sacrifice of the rich individual or country that has paid for their life-changing medical treatments be fully appreciated? These are difficult questions to fully answer but nothing of worth can be free, someone has to pay.
It is clear that advanced medical treatments are expensive and someone must pay for them. Where does the money come from, who will pay the medical bills? Will the recipient of the health care fully appreciate the value of what they have been given? Will the sacrifice of the rich individual or country that has paid for their life-changing medical treatments be fully appreciated? These are difficult questions to fully answer but nothing of worth can be free, someone has to pay.
Notes:
The second paragraph is effective because it:
1. introduces an opposing point (as the question asks us to do)
2. is long enough (contains around 80 words)
3. is not too emphatic, but believable
The second paragraph is effective because it:
1. introduces an opposing point (as the question asks us to do)
2. is long enough (contains around 80 words)
3. is not too emphatic, but believable
PARAGRAPH 3:
The overarching point however, must be the sanctity of human life. Surely a human life is worth more than a sum of money. Human life is precious and we must do all we can to save it. It is simply not good enough to say to an individual, “I could save your life but since you can not afford to pay me, you are going to die”. Unfortunately, this is the harsh reality in both the developed and developing world. Many people are dying because they cannot afford the advanced medical treatments needed to prolong their lives. Money should not determine who has the opportunity to live.
The overarching point however, must be the sanctity of human life. Surely a human life is worth more than a sum of money. Human life is precious and we must do all we can to save it. It is simply not good enough to say to an individual, “I could save your life but since you can not afford to pay me, you are going to die”. Unfortunately, this is the harsh reality in both the developed and developing world. Many people are dying because they cannot afford the advanced medical treatments needed to prolong their lives. Money should not determine who has the opportunity to live.
Notes:
The third paragraph is effective because it:
1. introduces several good contrasting points/arguments (as the question asks the writer to do)
2. supports the main points made with clear supporting points/examples
3. is long enough; the writer’s opinion should be supported by a longer, more convincing paragraph
4. is more emphatic and direct – the examiner can clearly understand the writer’s position
5. utilises good vocabulary, grammar and punctuation
The third paragraph is effective because it:
1. introduces several good contrasting points/arguments (as the question asks the writer to do)
2. supports the main points made with clear supporting points/examples
3. is long enough; the writer’s opinion should be supported by a longer, more convincing paragraph
4. is more emphatic and direct – the examiner can clearly understand the writer’s position
5. utilises good vocabulary, grammar and punctuation
PARAGRAPH 4:
I believe that all people should have the right to access the best medicine available. However, those given access should be educated to appreciate the value of what they have been given, the value of the gift. How wealthy a person is should not determine if an individual lives or dies.
I believe that all people should have the right to access the best medicine available. However, those given access should be educated to appreciate the value of what they have been given, the value of the gift. How wealthy a person is should not determine if an individual lives or dies.
Notes:
The final paragraph is effective because it:
1. re-emphasises the writer’s position (as per the question)
2. the language used gives a sense of ‘finality’ to the piece
3. utilises good vocabulary, grammar and punctuation
The final paragraph is effective because it:
1. re-emphasises the writer’s position (as per the question)
2. the language used gives a sense of ‘finality’ to the piece
3. utilises good vocabulary, grammar and punctuation
July 26th, 2009, 04:35 AM
Your task will be marked in three areas. You will get a mark from 1 to 9 on Arguments, Ideas and Evidence, Communicative Quality and Vocabulary and Sentence Structure. Your final band for Task 2 will be effectively an average of the three marks awarded in these areas. Task 2 writing is more important than Task 1 and to calculate the final writing mark, more weight is assigned to the Task 2 mark than to Task 1's mark. To get a good overall mark though, both tasks have to be well answered so don't hold back on Task 1 or give yourself too little time to answer it properly.
Arguments, Ideas and Evidence
This mark grades you on the content of your essay. The argument is how you present your case as regards the question. The ideas part is how many and how good your ideas are in helping your argument. The evidence is the facts that you use to back up your ideas. Evidence is very important in Task 2. You need to bring in facts from your own experience in order to support your ideas. The three parts (Arguments, Ideas and Evidence) are not independent but blend together to give a good answer. Together they really present the content and substance of your essay.
Communicative Quality
This is how you are making yourself understood and whether the reader of your writing understands what you are saying. Are you communicating well with the reader and are your ideas that you want to present understood by the reader?
Vocabulary and Sentence Structure
This area looks at the your grammar and choice of words. The marker will look at whether the right grammar and words are used and whether they are used at the right time, in the right place and in the right way. Most people are predominantly worried about their grammar but, as you can see, grammar is only half of one section of three used to grade your writing. IELTS is much more interested in communication rather than grammatical accuracy.