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User-written IELTS example

Writing Academic Task 2 Band 6.0 Example

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

283 words AcademicTask 2
Task 2

Illustrative target band for this original model answer.

Plan your 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 6.0

It is sometimes argued that people who were educated in some schools, such as medical or engineering, in a certain country should not be allowed to leave the country. However, I am firmly of the opinion that professionals should have the right of choosing their region of interest to live in, even if they are trained in a different country. Those who support requiring professionals to remain point out that their education is often paid for, at least partly, by public money. If newly qualified doctors or engineers leave immediately, the country that trained them may lose important workers and struggle to provide essential services. This is especially concerning in places where there are already not enough medical staff. Requiring graduates to work locally for a limited period could therefore help communities and allow the government to benefit from its investment in education.

On the other hand, professionals should be able to decide where they live and work. They may have personal reasons for moving, such as joining family or seeking better career opportunities. They can also gain experience abroad and bring new skills to the country where they were trained if they return later. In addition, forcing people to stay could make them unhappy and less motivated in their work. A policy based on incentives, such as improved working conditions, may be more effective than a strict rule.

In my view, professionals should be free to work in another country, although governments can reasonably ask graduates who received substantial public support to contribute locally for a short, clearly defined period. This balances the needs of the community with individual freedom. Overall, supporting people to stay is preferable to preventing them from leaving.

Targeted Improvement Tips

1
Replace “medical or engineering” with the names of fields, such as “medicine or engineering,” and use “the right to choose” in the opening.
2
After each main reason, add one sentence explaining its consequence—for instance, how the loss of newly qualified doctors affects local services.
3
Make the proposed compromise more specific by briefly explaining what a “short, clearly defined period” would involve, without claiming that every graduate receives the same level of public support.

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