IELTS Writing Task 2 essay with model answer

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic

Examine the arguments in favour of and against animal experiments and come to a conclusion on this issue.

Write at least 250 words.

Model Answer:

One of the highly controversial issues in today's world is whether animal experiments should be conducted or not. This essay will discuss the merits and demerits of the use of animals for research purposes and try to come to a logical conclusion.

The proponents of the idea of animal usage for scientific purposes believe that man is the most important and evolved creature on earth, and therefore, the survival of human species needs to be ensured at all costs. Firstly, animal physiology is quite similar to human physiology and therefore, animals should be used in trials to test the action of newer drugs before they can be tried on human beings. To illustrate, most of the experiments conducted in the medical laboratories to study the working of a human body, have been conducted on frogs. This has helped us immensely to understand the functioning of human body and its response to various stimuli drugs. Secondly, animal experiments do not always lead to the death of the animal. Therefore, the issue of harming the animals, which is raised by the animal rights activists, does not always hold true. Finally, animals used for scientific research purposes are often bred in captivity.

For example, cell cloning was first studied in a sheep called Dolly, who was produced by cloning, specifically for research. It gave the scientists a reason to celebrate when Dolly gave birth to a normal sheep by natural reproduction. Thus, it is clear that animals do not always suffer a grievous injury during experiments; ergo, animal experiments should not be banned if we want to save our future.

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On the other hand, the opponents of animal-oriented research work believe that we, human beings, a superior species, do not have the right to inflict pain on other creatures of this planet. This has also received credibility from wildlife videography which has clearly shown that animals have senses and emotions like humans. The idea of cruelty towards animals is clearly against the principles of Jainism and Buddhism too. Moreover, destruction of animal species at this rate will lead to an imbalance in the ecosystem and endanger life on earth in the long run. Last but not the least, often, animal experiments are done for the discovery of various cosmetic products and not life-saving drugs. This abuse of animals in the name of research should definitely be banned.

In conclusion, having critically analyzed both the pros and cons of animal experiments, I believe that animal experiments should be conducted when necessary. However, harming animals in the name of science for less important objective and goals, such as in the cosmetic industry, should be criticized vehemently and put to a stop so that we can follow the principle of "live and let live...".

Total Words: 458

Task Achievement: 9

Coherence & Cohesion: 9

Lexical resources: 9

Grammar: 9

Overall Score: Band 9

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