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Writing Academic Task 2 Band 9.0 Example

Original task prompt, user essay, band score, and related examples in the same report workspace.

315 words AcademicTask 2
Task 2

Illustrative target band for this original model answer.

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Ideas to explore

  • Publicly funded professional training may create a reasonable expectation that graduates contribute to local services, especially where skilled workers are scarce.
  • Freedom to work abroad can support career development and may bring expertise back through return migration or international collaboration.
  • A choice between a defined period of service and proportionate repayment can balance public investment with individual mobility.

Suggested structure

  1. Introduce the disagreement and state a qualified position.
  2. Explain the argument for requiring local service, linking public funding to shortages and taxpayer benefit.
  3. Present the case for freedom of movement, including professional opportunity and possible benefits to the home country.
  4. Give your own balanced solution and explain why it is fair.
  5. Conclude by restating the principle that retention is better supported by good opportunities than by excessive restrictions.
Useful vocabulary & examples
public investment
Government or taxpayer spending intended to benefit the public.

A period of local service could help ensure that public investment in medical training benefits the community.

skilled-worker shortages
A lack of qualified people available to fill important jobs.

Skilled-worker shortages may worsen if many newly trained professionals leave immediately.

a proportionate share
A fair amount that reflects the size or level of something.

Graduates could repay a proportionate share of heavily subsidised training costs.

freedom of movement
The ability to choose where to live or work without unreasonable restrictions.

A balanced policy should recognise professionals’ freedom of movement.

Task Prompt

Some people believe that professionals, such as doctors and engineers, should be required to work in the country where they did their training. Others believe that they should be free to work in another country if they wish. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

User Essay Analysis

Review the public answer with report-style highlights.

Band 9.0

It is often contended that experts in various fields, including medical practitioners and those in the engineering domain, ought to be obliged to practice within their training nation. Conversely, some individuals argue that they should have the liberty to pursue career opportunities in any country they prefer. This essay will delve into both perspectives impartially, before explaining why I favour a balanced policy that protects public investment without restricting professionals’ freedom indefinitely.

Those who support compulsory service argue that a country has a legitimate claim on the skills it helped develop. Medical and engineering education can require substantial public funding, and graduates may be especially needed in the communities where they were trained. If large numbers leave immediately, shortages can worsen, while the cost of educating replacements falls on local taxpayers. A period of service could therefore help ensure that public investment benefits the population that financed it.

On the other hand, requiring people to remain in one country may unfairly limit their career choices and personal lives. Professionals may move to access better facilities, higher-quality training, or opportunities unavailable at home. Their mobility can also benefit their original country: overseas experience may build expertise, and some workers may later return or contribute through international collaboration. A blanket restriction could, moreover, discourage talented people from entering these professions in the first place.

In my view, professionals should generally be free to work abroad, but governments can reasonably attach fair conditions to heavily subsidised training. For example, graduates could be offered a choice between completing a defined period of local service and repaying an agreed, proportionate share of their training costs. Such arrangements should be transparent and should not impose excessive penalties. This approach recognises obligations to the public while respecting individual choice. Ultimately, retaining skilled workers is more sustainable when countries improve working conditions and offer attractive opportunities than when they rely on compulsory restrictions.

Targeted Improvement Tips

1
Replace the less idiomatic opening phrases with concise expressions such as “professionals” and “the country where they trained.”
2
When arguing that overseas work can benefit a professional’s home country, explain one clear route for that benefit, such as gaining expertise and later returning or collaborating internationally.
3
Keep the proposed service-or-repayment policy, but state explicitly that the repayment amount should be fair in relation to the public subsidy received.

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