Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-03
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)
In recent years, there is an ongoing debate where increasing number of people with health diseases are searching for an alternative instead appointing their regular doctor. In my perspective this is positive development and supporting arguments in this essay .
One of the most compelling arguments in favour of this view is that by finding an alternate and researching for new medical treatments . World will discover diverse and harmless medicine which will improve the infrastructure of the medical industry . New cure will be discovered for the disease which were not available to human in earlier times . For example, there is no particular and fixed cure for cancer in the final stage and by exploring the alternatives , humans will able to find a significant cure . This illustrates that by exploring multiple options people can find innovating research which will be beneficial for human kind .
A further argument that merits consideration is that by finding various medications and alternatives , the medical industry will show a significant incline over the years . New tools and machinery will be developed that will beneficial for the citizen . For example , Japan is one of the best medical nation know to world and with the new tools and medication japan can improve the life expectancy .This illustrates that any nation can develop new instruments and discover diverse alternation which not only benefits their country citizen but people all over the world .
In conclusion , people and researchers finding new alteration is positive development , as they will discover the new cures and develop new scientific instruments as well as improve the lifestyle and life expectancy of the Earth's population .
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The essay addresses the prompt by taking a clear position, but the development of ideas is somewhat repetitive and lacks depth. While you mention that alternative medicine could lead to new discoveries, the link between 'alternative medicine' (like herbalism or acupuncture) and 'scientific research/infrastructure' is not clearly explained. The examples provided, such as the mention of Japan or cancer research, are quite general and do not fully support the argument that choosing alternative medicine over a doctor is a positive development. To improve, focus on providing more specific, logical reasons why individuals might prefer these treatments and how that impacts the broader medical landscape.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or repetitive. For instance, the phrase 'This illustrates that' is used in every paragraph, which makes the flow feel somewhat formulaic. Additionally, some sentences lack clear logical progression, such as the transition between the idea of alternative medicine and the development of new medical machinery. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each sentence builds naturally upon the previous one would significantly enhance the coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but there are frequent issues with word choice and collocation. For example, you use 'appointing their regular doctor' instead of 'consulting' or 'visiting', and 'diverse alternation' is not a standard collocation in this context. There is also a tendency to repeat words like 'new' and 'develop' rather than using synonyms. While your meaning is generally clear, the lack of precision and the misuse of certain terms prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. Focus on learning how words are used together in natural English phrases.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Common issues include missing articles (e.g., 'World will discover'), incorrect verb forms (e.g., 'humans will able to find'), and subject-verb agreement errors (e.g., 'disease which were not available'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be distracting. To improve, pay closer attention to basic grammar rules such as article usage and verb tense consistency. Practising complex sentence structures while ensuring they remain error-free will help you achieve a higher score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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