Funding Space Exploration vs Solving Earth's Problems
A complete IELTS Academic Writing Task 2 question with a model answer of 288 words, plus a breakdown of the sentence structures, cohesive devices and vocabulary that answer uses. Write your own version first, then compare.
Written by Manish Sharma · CELTA and DELTA qualified · 8 years teaching IELTS
Score my answer to this questionThe question
You have 40 minutes. Write at least 250 words.
Some people believe that governments should not fund space exploration while serious problems such as poverty, hunger, and climate change persist on Earth. Others argue that space research provides essential long-term benefits to humanity. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Write at least 250 words.
How to approach it
- 01State your position clearly in the introduction and maintain it throughout the essay
- 02Acknowledge the opposing view fairly before refuting it — this strengthens your argument
- 03Use specific real-world examples such as GPS, weather satellites, and Earth observation
- 04Quote approximate figures (e.g., 'less than 0.5 percent of national spending') to add credibility
- 05Use academic discourse markers: 'this framing relies on', 'beyond utility', 'in addition'
- 06Avoid emotional or extreme language — adopt an analytical, measured tone
Model answer
288 words in 5 paragraphs. Read it after you have written your own, not before: the point of a model answer is to show you what you missed, and you cannot miss anything you have not attempted.
As global challenges intensify, some critics argue that the billions allocated to space agencies could be more usefully spent tackling poverty, hunger, and the climate crisis. While I sympathise with this concern, I largely disagree with the view that space exploration should be defunded, because the scientific, technological, and strategic returns it generates ultimately strengthen our capacity to solve those very problems.
Those who oppose space spending raise legitimate moral arguments. With more than 700 million people living in extreme poverty and entire regions facing food insecurity, redirecting funds from rovers and rockets to vaccination programmes or famine relief seems intuitively compassionate. The cost of a single Mars mission, for example, could provide clean drinking water to millions of households.
However, this framing relies on a false trade-off. Space budgets typically constitute less than 0.5 percent of national spending, so cutting them would scarcely move the needle on welfare expenditure. Moreover, space research has produced tangible benefits for life on Earth. Weather satellites save countless lives during hurricanes and droughts, GPS underpins modern logistics and emergency response, and Earth observation programmes are central to monitoring deforestation and tracking greenhouse gases — without which credible climate policy would be impossible.
In addition, space exploration drives long-term innovation that the private sector alone cannot deliver. Technologies such as advanced solar panels, water purification systems, and medical imaging owe much to space-related research. Beyond utility, the inspirational pull of space programmes encourages young people to pursue careers in science and engineering, building the human capital required to address Earth's future challenges.
In conclusion, while ending global poverty and climate change must remain urgent priorities, sustaining modest investment in space exploration is not a distraction from these goals but a contribution to them.
What this answer actually does
Measured from the text above, and compared against the other 69 answers of the same type in this library. These are counts, not band scores: they describe what the writing does, which is the part you can copy.
3 fewer than the median answer for this task type
8 words at the shortest, 37 at the longest
4 more than the median answer for this task type
carry a subordinate or relative clause
Sentence rhythm
Sentences average 22.2 words and vary by 9.7 words either side of that, running from 8 words to 37. Variation is the point. Grammatical Range and Accuracy rewards a mix of simple and complex sentences, and an answer where every sentence is the same length reads as flat no matter how correct it is. 6 of the 13 sentences here carry a subordinate or relative clause.
The cohesive devices it uses
10 in total, spread across 5 different functions. Range matters more than count: an answer that opens every paragraph with a sequencer signals its structure but never signals a relationship between ideas, and Coherence and Cohesion is marked on both.
however, while
in addition, moreover
because
for example, such as
in conclusion, ultimately
Vocabulary and repetition
Ignoring grammar words, 88 per cent of the content words in this answer are distinct, and 81 per cent appear exactly once. Lexical Resource is where repetition costs the most marks, and the usual cause is not a small vocabulary but reaching for the same noun every time the topic is named.
The longest run of words copied straight from the question is 3 words. Examiners discount wording lifted from the question, so a short run here is the right outcome: the answer restates the topic in its own words rather than borrowing the question's.
What you are marked on
All four criteria carry equal weight, and your Writing band is their average rounded to the nearest half band.
Task Response
Present a clear position on the prompt, address both sides of the debate, and support arguments with reasons and examples.
Coherence & Cohesion
Use a four or five paragraph structure with strong topic sentences and varied cohesive devices.
Lexical Resource
Demonstrate precise vocabulary on policy, science, and ethics, including collocations and less common items.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
Use a range of complex structures including conditionals, concessions, and relative clauses with accuracy.
You have read one model answer. Now get one marked.
Paste your own attempt at this question and get a band for each criterion, with the exact sentences costing you marks.
Score my answer