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Cambridge 17 Writing Task 2 Test 3 - Sample Answers (Band 9 to 4-5)
Real band 9, 8, 7 and 6.5 sample answers for this prompt, plus a genuine band 4-5 answer so you can see exactly what pulls a score down. Every sample comes with examiner-style notes on Task Response, Coherence & Cohesion, Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range & Accuracy.
The Prompt
Professionals Working Abroad
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 they should be free to work in another country if they wish.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
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330 wordsProposes a genuine middle-ground policy (incentives plus limited service) rather than simply agreeing with one of the two given views.
There is ongoing debate about whether highly trained professionals such as doctors and engineers should be obligated to work in the country that funded their training, or whether they should be free to pursue opportunities abroad; I will examine both perspectives before giving my own view.
Those who favour requiring professionals to remain in their home country generally argue that public funding, often used to subsidise medical and engineering education, creates an implicit obligation to give back to the society that made that training possible. Many developing countries invest heavily in training doctors, only to see a significant proportion emigrate to wealthier nations shortly after qualifying, a phenomenon often referred to as brain drain, which can leave the training country with a severe shortage of skilled professionals despite its investment.
On the other hand, those who support freedom of movement argue that restricting a qualified professional's right to work wherever they choose is both impractical and arguably unjust, given that people should generally be free to pursue the best opportunities available to them, particularly when higher salaries or better working conditions abroad can substantially improve their own and their family's quality of life. There is also an argument that professionals who work abroad often send remittances home or return later with valuable international experience and expertise that ultimately benefits their home country regardless.
In my opinion, while I sympathise with the argument about fairness to individuals, I believe governments have a legitimate role in mitigating brain drain through incentives rather than legal compulsion, such as offering better pay, career progression, and working conditions domestically, or requiring a limited number of years of domestic service in exchange for subsidised training, rather than an outright, indefinite restriction on where someone may live and work.
In conclusion, both perspectives raise valid concerns, but I believe a balanced approach involving reasonable incentives and limited service commitments, rather than an absolute obligation to remain, best serves both individual freedom and the training country's genuine needs.
Examiner Notes
Task Response: Fully discusses both views in depth and gives a clear, well-developed personal opinion that proposes a genuine middle-ground solution rather than simply picking a side.
Coherence & Cohesion: Ideas progress logically from one view to the other to a synthesised opinion, with cohesive devices ("on the other hand", "in my opinion") managing each shift smoothly.
Lexical Resource: Wide range of precise vocabulary ("brain drain", "remittances", "legal compulsion") used with natural collocation throughout.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Wide range of complex structures, including concession clauses, used with full accuracy.
Band 8
259 wordsClearly argued with a genuine middle-ground opinion, just slightly more general in its supporting detail than a band 9 answer.
There is debate about whether professionals such as doctors and engineers should be required to work in the country where they trained, or whether they should be free to work abroad. I will discuss both views before giving my opinion.
Those who support requiring professionals to stay argue that public money is often used to fund their training, so they have an obligation to give something back to their country. Many developing countries train doctors who then move to wealthier countries after qualifying, which is often called brain drain, and this can leave the training country without enough skilled workers.
On the other hand, those who support freedom of movement argue that it is unfair to stop someone from working wherever they choose, especially since higher pay or better conditions abroad can significantly improve their life. Professionals working abroad may also send money home or bring back useful experience later, which can still benefit their home country.
In my opinion, I believe governments should use incentives rather than force to keep professionals at home, such as better pay and working conditions, or requiring a limited number of years of service in exchange for subsidised training, rather than restricting people indefinitely.
In conclusion, both views raise valid points, but I believe a balanced approach involving incentives and limited service requirements is fairer than forcing professionals to remain in one country permanently. This kind of compromise would allow countries to protect their investment in training without treating skilled professionals as though they have no say over their own careers and futures.
Examiner Notes
Task Response: Fully discusses both views with a clear personal opinion, though the reasoning is slightly more general than the band 9 answer's.
Coherence & Cohesion: Clear five-paragraph structure with accurate cohesive devices throughout.
Lexical Resource: Good range of vocabulary, though "significantly improve their life" is more general than the higher-band answer's more precise phrasing.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Mostly accurate complex sentences with only rare minor slips.
Band 7
258 wordsA clear, well-reasoned discussion that would be stronger with the incentives argument developed further.
Some people think professionals like doctors and engineers should work in the country where they trained. Others think they should be free to work abroad. I will discuss both views.
People who agree with the first view say that training is often paid for by the government, so professionals should give back to their country by working there. If too many doctors leave for other countries, this is called brain drain, and it can leave the country without enough skilled workers.
People who agree with the second view say that professionals should be free to choose where they work, especially if they can earn more money or have a better life abroad. They also say that professionals who work abroad might send money home or come back later with useful experience.
In my opinion, I think governments should offer better pay and conditions to keep professionals at home, rather than forcing them to stay, because forcing people does not seem fair.
In conclusion, both views have good points, but I believe it is better to give professionals incentives to stay rather than requiring them to by law. Forcing someone to work in a particular country for many years, even after they have finished their training, could also make them feel resentful and less motivated in their job, which may not actually benefit the country in the long run. Instead, if a country makes conditions genuinely attractive, most professionals will likely choose to stay voluntarily, which is a much better outcome than forcing them to remain against their wishes.
Examiner Notes
Task Response: Discusses both views with a clear opinion, but the opinion is not developed in as much depth as in the higher-band answers.
Coherence & Cohesion: Organised logically with each view in a separate paragraph followed by an opinion; cohesive devices ("On the other hand" style contrasts, "In conclusion") are accurate but predictable.
Lexical Resource: Adequate range for the task, with some repetition of "professionals" and "country" throughout.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Generally accurate mix of simple and complex sentences; meaning is always clear.
Band 6.5
257 wordsBoth views and the opinion are addressed clearly, but agreement errors on nearly every key task word noticeably lower the score.
Some people think professional like doctor and engineer should work in the country where they train. Others think they should be free to work abroad. I will discuss both view.
People who agree with the first view say that training is often pay for by the government, so professional should give back to their country by working there. If too many doctor leave for other country, this is call brain drain, and it can leave the country without enough skilled worker.
People who agree with the second view say that professional should be free to choose where they work, especially if they can earn more money or have better life abroad. They also say that professional who work abroad might send money home or come back later with useful experience.
In my opinion, I think government should offer better pay and condition to keep professional at home, rather than forcing them to stay, because forcing people does not seem fair.
In conclusion, both view have good point, but I believe it is better to give professional incentive to stay rather than requiring them to by law. Forcing someone to work in a particular country for many year, even after they have finish their training, could also make them feel resentful and less motivated in their job, which may not actually benefit the country in the long run. Instead, if a country make condition genuinely attractive, most professional will likely choose to stay voluntarily, which is a much better outcome than forcing them to remain against their wish.
Examiner Notes
Task Response: Discusses both views with a clear opinion, matching the content of the band 7 answer, but grammar errors throughout reduce clarity.
Coherence & Cohesion: Follows the same five-part structure as the higher-band answers.
Lexical Resource: Limited by missing plurals on key task words ("professional", "doctor", "worker") used throughout instead of their plural forms.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Frequent subject-verb agreement errors ("training is often pay for", "professional should give back", "this is call brain drain") appear on nearly every sentence.
Band 4-5 - What to Avoid
33 wordsNever genuinely explains either view and gives no real opinion, and stays well under the required length.
I think doctor should stay in own country.
But if they want go abroad, maybe okay too, this is hard question.
I don't know real answer, this is my opinion about this topic.
Examiner Notes
Task Response: Neither view is genuinely explained or developed, and no real personal opinion is given, so the discuss-both-views task is not addressed. At well under 250 words, the response is also underlength.
Coherence & Cohesion: Paragraphs are short, disconnected statements with minimal linking.
Lexical Resource: Vocabulary is basic and repetitive ("think", "maybe", "okay") with little variation.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Frequent errors throughout ("I think doctor should stay", "if they want go abroad").
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