Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-08

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Nowadays, a growing number of people with health problems are trying alternative medicines and treatments instead of visiting their usual doctor.

Do you think this is a positive or a negative development?

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

Student answer (Band 6.0)

Currently, a large proportion of population, who are dealing with health issues, are more inclined in using alternative medications and treatments rather than usual doctor's prescription. Even though, the medicine or drugs prescribed by the usual doctors are creating the underlying side effects to health, it is still better to consumed known medicine than going to the path of unknown medicines or alternatives which contains unknown ingredients and side effects and might lead to more health hazards than already existing.

Alternative treatments or medicines contains the substances and effects that are unknown to many health professionals. This could lead to the impact that people are unable to handle, if occurred. Hypothetically, a person with long-term illness visits an alternative treatment facility, instead of visiting their known doctor, and receives the side effects of the medicine. In this case, who would be responsible on treating the side effects which are of unknown origin or ingredients?

Additionally, not only does this alternative contains side effect but also other health hazards which were not in existence before. In order to overcome new health challenges, more medications are needed and this leads to consumption of more harmful drugs in our body. I remember the time when my grandfather, in order to avoid having allopathic medicine for his blood pressure, he used some alternative medications. Not only was his blood pressure not in control but his sugar levels also spiked due to the medicine. So, these kind of consequences are not something people are ready for.

Lastly, people are more worried about the harmful effects of the usual doctor's prescription. However, they ignore the fact that not having knowledge about the alternative treatments would create even more danger to their health as a whole.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

Your position is clear: you view replacing a usual doctor with alternative treatments as a negative development, and this stance is maintained throughout. You give relevant reasons, including uncertainty about ingredients and possible additional health risks, and the account of your grandfather’s blood pressure and sugar levels provides a specific example. The response addresses the question, but some points are less fully developed than others. For instance, the opening mentions side effects from prescribed medicines, yet the essay does not explain how this concern should be weighed against the risks of alternatives. The hypothetical question about responsibility also raises an issue without resolving it. To strengthen the response, explain the reasoning behind each main point and connect the example more explicitly to your overall argument.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay has a coherent overall arrangement: it introduces a clear position, develops two paragraphs of supporting reasons, and ends by restating the central concern. Sequencing expressions such as “Additionally” and “Lastly” help signal progression, while the grandfather example is placed appropriately within the discussion of health risks. However, some connections are mechanical, and the final paragraph largely repeats the earlier point rather than drawing the argument together. References such as “this alternative” and “these kind of consequences” are not always precise, so readers may need to infer exactly what they refer to. The rhetorical question also interrupts the explanation instead of leading to a clear conclusion. Use more explicit links between claims and evidence, and make the conclusion synthesise the reasons rather than simply restating them.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “alternative treatments,” “side effects,” “long-term illness,” and “health hazards,” which makes your position understandable. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “underlying side effects” and “unknown origin or ingredients,” though some combinations are imprecise or unnatural. Repetition of “alternative,” “medicine,” and “health” limits flexibility, and phrases such as “more inclined in using” and “usual doctor’s prescription” do not express the intended meaning naturally. Aim for more accurate collocations and vary repeated terms where appropriate—for example, distinguish between conventional medical care, prescribed medication, and complementary therapies. These improvements would make the vocabulary more precise and fluent without requiring unnecessarily complex words.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex structures, including a concessive opening and clauses with “if” and “in order to.” Meaning is generally recoverable, but some grammatical errors recur and occasionally make sentences awkward. For example, “the medicine or drugs … are creating” has a subject–verb agreement problem, while “it is still better to consumed” uses the wrong verb form. In “Alternative treatments or medicines contains,” the plural subject requires a plural verb; “who would be responsible on treating” also has an incorrect preposition within the construction. The opening sentence is difficult to follow because its relative clause and main clause are not cleanly connected. Review agreement, infinitive forms, and sentence boundaries, then proofread complex sentences to ensure each clause has a clear grammatical structure.

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