Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-14

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)

In many countries, a growing number of people with health issues are trying alternative medicines and treatments rather than visiting and consulting with their usual doctor. In my opinion, it is really a negative development because it can cause critical health issues and extra expenses.

Many individuals are now following the trend of trying alternative medicines and treatments on their own without realizing the consequences. This is mainly because some underprivileged families cannot afford medical expenses, such as appointment, doctor's fees, and to buy new medicines. There is no doubt that several alternative medicines and antibiotics help to eliminate or fight off diseases, though they don't work every time. In this case, they can cause serious health problems and perilous side effects on our body, such as liver and kidney damage, stomach issues, and allergic reactions. Consequently, you would have to visit a doctor and pay extra check-up expenses. Therefore, it is advisable to visit your usual doctor soon after you feel some health problems to avoid extra expenses in the future.

On the other hand, many individuals believe that you should immediately rush to your nearby hospital if you find some health problems rather than trying antibiotics. These antibiotics will temporarily work, but in the end you would have to visit a hospital. Furthermore, visiting a hospital earlier not only protect a person from permanent illness, but also protect him from extra expenses in the future. For instance, rather than wasting money on ineffective, self- prescribed antibiotics for chronic headaches, consulting a doctor ensures an accurate diagnosis, such as identifying a migrane needing surgery which permanently resolves the issue and prevents recurring medical costs.

To sum up, although trying alternative medicines can provide temporary relief, I believe that consulting a doctor brings numerous advantages because it can protect a person from double expense and from permanent disease in the most cases.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear from the introduction: you consider relying on alternative treatments instead of a usual doctor a negative development. You give relevant reasons, including possible side effects and additional costs, and the example about self-prescribed antibiotics supports your concern about delayed diagnosis. However, the response does not consistently distinguish alternative medicine from antibiotics, and the second body paragraph shifts to arguing for hospital visits rather than developing the specific risks of alternative treatments. The claim that a migraine may need surgery is also unusually specific and is not explained, so it weakens the example. To strengthen the response, address the exact contrast in the question throughout and explain each main reason with a clear, credible example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion, and the overall position is easy to follow. Linking expressions such as “Consequently,” “Furthermore” and “To sum up” help signal relationships between ideas. However, some connections are mechanical or unclear. “On the other hand” suggests a contrasting view, but the paragraph continues to support consulting a doctor, so the relationship to the previous paragraph is not clear. The shift from alternative treatments to antibiotics and then to hospitals also interrupts progression. In addition, “these antibiotics” has an unclear reference. Group related points more tightly and use transitions that accurately show whether you are adding a reason, contrasting views or giving an example.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including “side effects,” “underprivileged families,” “accurate diagnosis” and “permanent illness.” These choices help communicate the main concerns, and some less common expressions show an attempt to be precise. However, several phrases are awkward or imprecise: “extra check-up expenses,” “double expense” and “perilous side effects on our body” do not sound natural in this context. “Alternative medicines” and “antibiotics” are also treated as if they mean the same thing, which affects precision. Check spelling and word forms as well, including “migrane.” Aim for natural collocations and use medical terms accurately; this will make your argument clearer without requiring more complicated vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a conditional structure (“if you find some health problems”) and a paired construction (“not only … but also”). Most sentences communicate their meaning, but some grammatical errors remain. For example, “appointment, doctor's fees, and to buy new medicines” does not maintain a parallel list, while “not only protect … but also protect” needs subject–verb agreement with the singular subject “visiting a hospital.” The phrase “in the most cases” also has an article error, and “you would have to visit” shifts into direct address where a general statement would be more consistent. Review agreement, articles and parallel structures, then proofread longer sentences to improve accuracy while retaining variety.

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