Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-13

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)

People nowadays are becoming more health-conscious compared with previous decades. A large number of people nowadays, reduced going to their general doctor instead they follow healthy lifestyle and instead of taking medicines, prefer to take multivitamins and other alternative treatments. In my opinion, this is a positive development because people are becoming more responsible for their health and are paying greater attention to their well-being.

First and foremost reason, people are becoming more health-conscious. They now pay more attention to preventing health problems rather than only treating them. For this purpose, they follow their routine with discipline, such as adding workout, yoga, healthy diet, daily multivitamins and protein intake into their day to day list. For example, people who follow a healthy lifestyle are less likely to suffer from several health problems. Therefore, this growing focus on health can help people prevent illnesses and lead healthier lives, making it a positive development.

In addition to this, while following alternative medicines in case of minor conditions and with healthy lifestyle, one can saves money and time. People may choose alternative treatments because some of them are less expensive and more accessible than regular medical treatment.

To exemplify this, instead of frequently visiting a doctor for minor problems, some people may use home remedies or lifestyle changes. Therefore, alternative treatments can be a convenient and affordable option for dealing with minor health problems, making this a positive development.

In conclusion, I believe that the growing use of alternative medicines is a positive development. It encourages people to become more health-conscious and can also save them time and money when dealing with minor health problems.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.0
Coherence and Cohesion6.5
Lexical Resource6.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.0
Overall6.0

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, clearly stating a position that the trend is positive. The ideas are relevant, focusing on health consciousness and economic benefits. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat repetitive and lacks depth. For instance, the argument about 'minor conditions' is mentioned in both the second and third paragraphs without significant expansion. To reach a higher band, you should provide more specific examples or explore the potential risks of alternative medicine to provide a more balanced and nuanced discussion, which would demonstrate a more thorough development of the topic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the progression of ideas is generally easy to follow. You use cohesive devices such as 'First and foremost', 'In addition to this', and 'In conclusion' to link your points. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally repetitive. To improve, try to vary your linking phrases and ensure that the relationship between sentences is more fluid, rather than relying on standard list-like connectors.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'health-conscious', 'accessible', and 'alternative treatments' appropriately. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'reduced going to their general doctor' instead of 'reduced their visits to their general practitioner'. There is also a lack of more sophisticated or 'less common' lexical items that would elevate the response. Focusing on collocations and more precise academic vocabulary will help you move into the higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. For example, 'one can saves money' should be 'one can save money', and 'adding workout, yoga... into their day to day list' is grammatically clunky. Additionally, there are issues with article usage and subject-verb agreement. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Increasing your control over complex structures and proofreading for minor errors will improve your score.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.