Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-07-26

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 7.5)

In this day and age, an increasing amount of the population is utilizing and purchasing medications and treatments instead of consulting with a traditional medical professions. While there undoubtedly are greater convenience and accessibility if a person uses the former method, attributable to the popularity of the internet, this phenomenon might be more harmful than beneficial.

People, through the advent and availability of the fast and vast search engine such as Google, can put in their medical problems and consider the results from their research. Similarly, they can connect with many people of same experiences as them, discuss with them about their conditions, and share one another's knowledge. But none of this should be the primary way of combating one's medical troubles; such information from the internet searches can be false and potentially life-threatening. Another thing to note is that one person's encounter with a certain disease, no matter how comparable it is to yours, cannot be certifiably applied without the consultation of an expert. Only with the support of a doctor can a patient know what to do, how to live, what to eat, and how to rest.

As a patient myself, I used to overlook the importance of contribution by doctors and, in stead, relied on alternatives I discovered through online researches and friend's advises. This practice did not improve my health. The reason for this was the lack of knowledge to properly utilize such means of health treatments. Only with the proper guidance from an medical professionals, such as nurses and doctors, I was able to include the valuable methods I found on the internet into my daily healthy life.

In conclusion, while those, who prefer the alternatives types of health development and maintenance to the usual practiced ways of taking a medical expert's opinion and treatment, are valid in finding a better and more efficient strategy, they must not overlook the very glaring problems with such lifestyles as, currently, there are more negative than positive in regards to this issue.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response addresses the prompt clearly, taking a firm stance that relying on alternative methods is a negative development. The ideas are relevant and supported by personal experience, which adds depth. However, the development of the argument is slightly uneven; while the risks of internet-based medical advice are well-articulated, the discussion could benefit from more specific examples of 'alternative medicines' beyond just internet research to fully explore the scope of the topic. The position is consistent throughout, and the conclusion effectively summarises the main argument, meeting the requirements for a Band 7 response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organised with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, such as the dangers of internet misinformation or the necessity of professional guidance. Cohesive devices like 'Similarly', 'But', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing in the final paragraph is a bit dense, which slightly impacts the flow. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow, fitting the criteria for Band 7.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The vocabulary is generally appropriate and sufficient for the task. You use terms like 'combating one's medical troubles' and 'certifiably applied' effectively. There are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'medical professions' instead of 'medical professionals' and 'friend's advises' (advice is uncountable). While you attempt some less common vocabulary, the range is somewhat limited, and there are occasional errors in word choice and collocation. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise academic collocations and ensuring correct word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several error-free sentences, and your control of grammar is generally strong. However, there are persistent minor errors, such as 'an medical professionals' (article error), 'in stead' (should be one word), and 'those, who prefer' (unnecessary comma). These errors do not impede communication, but they prevent the essay from reaching the higher bands where the majority of sentences are error-free. Increasing the variety of complex structures while tightening accuracy will help improve this score.

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