Is scientific research a waste?: IELTS Task 2 essay #1, band 7.5

Some people think most of the current scientific research is a waste of time and funding. Despite some drawbacks of this research, I believe that they have advanced many areas of our lives, including medicine and technology.

On the one hand, some people may think government funds have been wasted on scientific research because they require too many trials. In other words, scientists usually spend too much money and time experimenting with their findings to acquire proper results. If they fail to prove their research, millions, if not billions, of the budget will be wasted. The research carried out on global warming, for example, has gone too far, but almost nothing has changed in favor of scientists. As a result, they have already wasted billions of investments.

1. Coherence & cohesion

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   RevisedOn the one hand, some people may believe that government funds have been wasted on scientific research due to the necessity of multiple trials.

   The revised sentence is more formal and academic.

2. Lexical resource

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   RevisedIf they are unable to validate their research, it could lead to a significant, if not a substantial, wastage of the budget.

   The revised sentence is more natural and idiomatic.

3. Lexical resource

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   RevisedFor instance, the research conducted on global warming has gone overboard, yet there has been no substantial benefit for the scientists involved.

   The revised sentence is more natural and idiomatic.

However, I would argue that scientific research has made improvements in many other areas of life. Medicine has benefitted most from science. Scientific research on chemicals and animals has contributed to finding cures for previously fatal diseases, such as some types of cancer. Otherwise, treating these diseases could have cost governments much more than the actual funds spent on scientific research. Thus, scientific research is not a waste of money.

1. Grammar & accuracy

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   RevisedTherefore, scientific research is not a waste of resources.

   The revised sentence is grammatically correct and more formal.

Another area that science has had a significant impact on is technology. That is to say, current technological developments are the fruit of much scientific research carried out by scientists. Take communications technologies as an example: these devices, such as mobile phones, the internet, and television, have made our lives much more accessible. If governments had not allocated funds to develop these technological gadgets, we would be spending considerably more time delivering a single message now. That is why I disagree that scientific research is a waste of time.

1. Coherence & cohesion

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   RevisedIn other words, current technological advancements are the result of extensive scientific research conducted by scientists.

   The revision provides a clearer and more concise explanation, improving the flow and coherence of the idea.

2. Lexical resource

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   RevisedThis is why I differ in opinion that scientific research is a futile exercise.

   The revised sentence is more natural and idiomatic.

In conclusion, although scientific research can fail in some areas and cause a waste of money and time, I believe that they have improved many other areas of our lives, such as medicine and technology. Therefore, organizations should be willing to fund these types of research.

1. Coherence & cohesion

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   RevisedIn conclusion, despite scientific research encountering failures in some areas, leading to a wastage of money and time, I am of the belief that it has significantly enhanced other sectors of our lives, particularly medicine and technology.

   The revised sentence is more formal and academic.