Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-12

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 5.5)

People will medical issues are now trying out alternative source of treatment instead of relaying on thier usual doctor consultation. I strongly believe this is a positive development, because alternate medicine has it natural benefits, also it can be very expensive to be able to consistently get medical treatment, especially if the illment is a cronic one

Trying out alternate source of treatment has it own benefit, it could trying out natural remedies such as herbal, or adding supliments to improve their well being. For example an patience with eye issues, can after using eye drops for a number of year and not seeing result might decide to try eating carrot, which is very rich in vitamin A and also good for the eyes.

Another reason why people want to seek alternate medicines is as a result if high cost of consultation, especailly in some countries where getting access to treatment are not free, regular visits always comes at a high. For example a cancer patience who need to always pay from his pocket to get medical attention will start to look for alternate way of getting treated, beause at that point what matters most is getting better, if alternate medcine can help manager the illment and reduce the number of time they need to visit the hospital they will gladly jump at it.

In conclusion, growing number of patients with health issues are now seeking alternatives to medicine instead of their regular doctor's visit, because of its high cost of consultation when they visit the hospitals, as well as trying out natural ways of getting treated.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear from the introduction: you consider the move towards alternative treatment positive, and the conclusion restates this view. You give two relevant reasons—natural remedies and the cost of medical care—and illustrate them with examples involving eye problems and cancer. This addresses the question, but the support is uneven. The carrot example is specific, though it does not explain when a home remedy should complement rather than replace professional care. The cancer example mainly repeats the cost argument and makes a broad claim that alternative medicine may manage illness. Develop the reasoning more carefully, acknowledge risks such as delayed diagnosis, and explain why your overall view remains positive despite them.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, two body paragraphs presenting separate reasons, and a conclusion. The progression from natural remedies to treatment costs is easy to follow, and phrases such as “For example” help signal supporting details. This organisation is effective, and the position remains consistent. To make the flow more polished, vary the linking language and strengthen connections between claims and examples. The second body paragraph, for instance, moves from consultation costs to a cancer patient seeking alternatives without fully explaining how the example supports the broader argument. The conclusion also largely repeats the introduction. Use clearer referencing and a brief synthesis of the two reasons to create a more purposeful ending.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use vocabulary relevant to the topic, including “alternative medicines,” “natural remedies,” “supplements,” “consultation,” and “medical attention.” These choices make the main ideas understandable, but the range and control are limited, with repeated use of “alternate” and “treatment” and several noticeable spelling or word-choice errors. Examples include “relaying” for “relying,” “illment” for “illness,” “patience” for “patient,” and “manager” where “manage” is intended. Some phrases are also unnatural, such as “alternate source of treatment” and “jump at it.” Build a more accurate range of topic-specific expressions and check spelling and collocations carefully; this will make your meaning easier to process and your argument more precise.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, including a conditional structure in “if alternate medicine can help … they will gladly jump at it.” However, control is inconsistent, and errors in sentence construction, agreement, articles, and punctuation sometimes make the reader pause. For example, “Trying out alternate source of treatment has it own benefit” has problems with the article, agreement, and possessive form, while “an patience with eye issues, can” contains an incorrect article and an unnecessary comma. The opening sentence also joins several ideas with commas rather than clearly separating them. Practise accurate sentence boundaries and check subject–verb agreement and articles, while retaining some complex structures and making sure each clause is complete.

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