Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-14
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)
Some people believe that using alternative medicine is better solution rather than visiting their doctor. In my opinion, it is evident that going to doctor is better solution rather taking alternative medicine.
On the other hand, doctors studied for how many years to be professional and cure any disease. They have the knowledge and better understanding on how to help any patient with their health issues. For example, having an headache that you’ve been experiencing for few days. Trying medical at home did not work. Therefore, going to hospital to meet the doctor is beneficial in order to look all the possible reasons why you are experiencing headache. They can use technology and their own knowledge to determine all the solutions to enaure that everything will go well. We can’t tely to any alternative dose to use.
However, old people prefer to take alternative medicine rather than visiting a doctor. They believe that there is no need for a professional since in their time they’re only relying on one medicine. For example, before there is no professional who knows how to cure people. They are all relying to plants that they use for any sickness. That’s why they dont believe that doctors is better with alternative medicine. Nowadays, if you dont have insurance or government card it will be expensive going to the hospital and meet a doctor for inquiry.
In conclusion, in this time better to consult and take the advice rather than taking alternative medicine to avoid any conflicts. When we choose the wrong medicine it might cause bigger problems.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position that visiting a doctor is preferable. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention the expertise of doctors and the cost of healthcare, the arguments are not fully extended. For instance, the example of a headache is a good start, but it lacks depth in explaining why alternative medicine specifically fails in that context. To improve, ensure each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and provides more detailed reasoning or evidence to support your claims, rather than relying on general statements.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, such as the transition 'On the other hand' used at the start of the second paragraph, which does not logically contrast with the introduction. Additionally, some sentences feel disjointed, and the flow between ideas could be smoother. Using a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'nevertheless') would help improve the logical progression of your arguments.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. There are several instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'relying to plants' instead of 'relying on plants' and 'meet a doctor for inquiry'. Some words are used repetitively, such as 'medicine' and 'doctor'. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise collocations and a wider range of academic vocabulary to express your ideas more naturally and effectively.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'better solution rather than' (missing 'a'), 'doctors studied for how many years' (tense inconsistency), and 'relying to plants'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct preposition usage will significantly improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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