Level: IELTS Academic Writing Task 2
Task type: Agree or disagree
Recommended time: 40 minutes
Word count: At least 250 words

Question

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Governments should spend more money on preventing illness through healthy lifestyle campaigns than on treating people after they become ill.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

How to Write This Essay

This is an agree or disagree essay. You need to give a clear opinion about whether governments should spend more money on preventing illness than on treating illness.

A strong answer should not simply say that both are important. That is true, but it is too general. You need to answer the key comparison:

Should prevention receive more money than treatment?

A good position could be:

Mostly agree: Governments should invest more in prevention because it reduces long-term costs and improves public health, but treatment must still receive strong funding because many illnesses cannot be prevented.

This is probably the safest and most balanced answer.

Suggested Essay Structure

Introduction
Paraphrase the question and give your opinion clearly.

Body paragraph 1
Explain why prevention is important.
Possible ideas:

Healthy lifestyle campaigns can reduce obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
Preventing illness is usually cheaper than treating serious medical conditions.
Public education can encourage better diets, exercise and early health checks.

Body paragraph 2
Explain why treatment still needs funding.
Possible ideas:

Some illnesses are genetic, accidental or unavoidable.
Hospitals need money for surgery, cancer treatment, emergency care and elderly patients.
Prevention campaigns do not help people who are already seriously ill.

Conclusion
Repeat your opinion clearly: prevention deserves more investment, but not at the expense of essential treatment.

Useful Vocabulary for This Topic

preventive medicine
public health campaigns
long-term healthcare costs
lifestyle-related diseases
obesity
diabetes
heart disease
early intervention
medical treatment
hospital care
emergency services
chronic illness
healthcare budget
cost-effective
improve life expectancy

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Do not write only about healthy lifestyles in general. The question is about government spending.

Do not ignore treatment completely. A strong essay should explain why hospitals and medical care are still necessary.

Do not give an unclear opinion such as: “I partly agree and partly disagree” without explaining which side you support more.

Do not write a discussion essay with equal arguments on both sides unless your opinion is clearly balanced.

Band 6.5 Model Answer

It is often argued that governments should spend more money on encouraging people to live healthy lifestyles rather than paying for medical treatment after people become sick. I mostly agree with this view because prevention can reduce pressure on hospitals and save public money in the long term. However, treatment is still necessary for many serious conditions.

One reason why governments should invest more in prevention is that many modern health problems are connected to lifestyle. For example, obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes are often caused by poor diet, lack of exercise and smoking. If governments spend money on education campaigns, free exercise programmes and clearer food information, people may make better choices before they become ill. This could reduce the number of patients who need expensive treatment later. In this way, prevention is not only good for individuals, but also useful for the whole healthcare system.

However, it would be wrong to spend too little on treating people who are already ill. Many diseases cannot be avoided simply by living healthily. For instance, some cancers, genetic conditions and injuries from accidents require professional medical care. Older people also often need treatment even if they have lived healthy lives. Therefore, hospitals, doctors and emergency services must still receive enough money to provide good care.

In my opinion, governments should put more emphasis on preventing illness because it is cheaper and more effective in the long term. Nevertheless, this should not mean that treatment is neglected. The best approach is to increase spending on prevention while keeping strong medical services for people who need urgent or specialised care.

Word count: 288 words

Band 6.5 Feedback

This is a clear and relevant essay. The writer answers the question directly and gives a sensible opinion: prevention should receive more attention, but treatment remains necessary.

Why this is around Band 6.5:

Task Response:
The essay answers the question and gives relevant reasons. The ideas are clear, but they could be developed with more specific examples or deeper explanation.

Coherence and Cohesion:
The structure is logical: introduction, prevention, treatment, conclusion. Linking phrases are clear, but fairly simple.

Lexical Resource:
The vocabulary is appropriate, with phrases such as “healthcare system”, “emergency services”, “genetic conditions” and “specialised care”. However, the vocabulary range is not especially sophisticated.

Grammar:
The grammar is generally accurate. There is a mix of sentence forms, but the sentence structures are mostly straightforward.

How to improve it:
To reach Band 7 or higher, the essay would need more precise development, stronger topic-specific vocabulary and more complex sentence structures.

Band 8 Model Answer

Many governments face the difficult decision of whether to prioritise preventive health measures or spend most of their healthcare budget on treating disease. I strongly agree that more money should be directed towards preventing illness through healthy lifestyle campaigns, although this should never come at the expense of essential medical treatment.

The strongest argument for prevention is that many of the most expensive health problems are linked to lifestyle. Conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease are often associated with poor diet, physical inactivity, excessive alcohol consumption and smoking. Once these illnesses become serious, they can require years of medication, hospital appointments and specialist care. By contrast, well-designed public health campaigns can encourage people to change their behaviour before major problems develop. For example, school nutrition programmes, anti-smoking campaigns and free community exercise schemes may reduce the number of people who develop chronic diseases later in life. In financial terms, prevention is usually more cost-effective than treatment.

Another reason to prioritise preventive medicine is that it improves quality of life, not just government finances. A person who avoids diabetes or heart disease is likely to remain more active, independent and productive. This benefits families, employers and society as a whole. Public health campaigns can also reduce inequality if they are targeted at poorer communities, where people may have less access to reliable health information, safe exercise spaces or nutritious food.

However, treatment must still be properly funded. Some illnesses are unavoidable, including genetic disorders, many cancers and injuries caused by accidents. Moreover, people who are already ill have a moral right to receive care. A healthcare system that focuses only on prevention would fail the most vulnerable patients.

Overall, I believe governments should spend more on preventing illness because it offers better long-term value and reduces human suffering. Nevertheless, prevention and treatment should be seen as complementary priorities, not complete opposites.

Word count: 314 words

Band 8 Explanation

This is a stronger essay because the argument is more precise, better developed and more sophisticated.

Task Response:
The opinion is clear from the introduction: the writer strongly agrees, but also recognises the need for essential treatment. The essay stays focused on the exact question of government spending.

Coherence and Cohesion:
Each paragraph has a clear purpose. The first body paragraph focuses on financial and medical benefits. The second body paragraph adds a wider social argument. The third body paragraph gives a necessary limitation. This creates a mature, well-balanced argument.

Lexical Resource:
The vocabulary is more advanced and topic-specific:

preventive health measures
healthcare budget
cardiovascular disease
physical inactivity
chronic diseases
cost-effective
quality of life
targeted at poorer communities
complementary priorities

The vocabulary is natural and accurate, not forced.

Grammar:
The essay uses a good range of sentence structures, including complex sentences:

“Once these illnesses become serious, they can require…”
“By contrast, well-designed public health campaigns can…”
“A person who avoids diabetes or heart disease is likely to…”

The grammar is accurate and controlled.

Key Lesson for Students

For an agree or disagree essay, do not just list advantages and disadvantages. You must give a clear opinion and keep returning to it throughout the essay.

For this question, a strong position is:

Governments should spend more on prevention because it is cheaper and better for society, but they must still fund treatment for serious and unavoidable illnesses.

Useful Phrases for This Essay

Giving your opinion

I strongly agree that…
I mostly agree with this view because…
In my opinion, prevention should be given greater priority.
This should not mean that treatment is neglected.

Explaining prevention

Many modern illnesses are linked to lifestyle.
Preventive medicine can reduce long-term healthcare costs.
Public health campaigns can encourage people to make healthier choices.
Early intervention is often more effective than later treatment.

Explaining treatment

Some illnesses cannot be prevented through lifestyle changes.
Hospitals and emergency services must still be properly funded.
People who are already ill have a right to receive care.
Prevention and treatment should be seen as complementary priorities.

Practice Task

Before reading the model answers again, write your own essay using this position:

Mostly agree: prevention should receive more government funding, but treatment must remain properly funded.

Try to include:

a clear conclusion with your final opinion

one paragraph about cost and lifestyle diseases

one paragraph about the importance of medical treatment

IELTS Writing Task 2: Health and Preventive Medicine