Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-15
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 5.0)
In the past few years, the major focusing part is health. Also, it is a widely debated topic many individuals thinks herbal medicines give the benefits with minimal side effects. Although, in my opinion trying a different medicines on your own may be harmful for your health instead of using doctors prescription.One of the major causes is not knowing the actual disease and accessive intake.
The main reason is people are not knowing the actual disease by using the medicines that someone suggested by them.therefore, they cause the several dameges in their body.For that reason, people got dengerous diseases by that.
Another reason, patients intake medicen by their own not in a perticular manner or prescribe by the
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, as it is only 118 words long. Consequently, the ideas are significantly underdeveloped and the response is incomplete, ending abruptly mid-sentence. While you have identified a position—that relying on alternative medicine without professional guidance is negative—the arguments are not extended or supported with relevant examples as required by the prompt. To improve, you must expand your points by explaining the 'why' and 'how' behind your claims and ensure you provide a full, structured essay that addresses all parts of the task.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay lacks a clear logical progression. While there are some attempts at cohesive devices like 'therefore' and 'another reason', their usage is often inaccurate or mechanical. Paragraphing is present but the content within the paragraphs is fragmented and repetitive. The lack of a clear introduction and conclusion, combined with the incomplete nature of the text, makes it difficult for the reader to follow the argument. To improve, focus on using transition signals to link ideas more naturally and ensure each paragraph has a clear topic sentence followed by supporting details.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is limited and repetitive, which restricts your ability to express complex ideas. There are frequent errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'dameges' instead of 'damages', 'dengerous' instead of 'dangerous', and 'medicen' instead of 'medicine'. These errors occasionally impede communication. To reach a higher band, you need to expand your range of vocabulary to include more precise terms related to health and medical treatment, and pay closer attention to the correct spelling of common words.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains frequent grammatical errors that often affect the clarity of your sentences. Examples include 'many individuals thinks' (subject-verb agreement), 'people are not knowing' (incorrect tense usage), and 'not in a perticular manner or prescribe by the' (incomplete sentence structure). There is a lack of complex sentence structures, and the existing simple sentences are often marred by errors in punctuation and syntax. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, and the correct use of verb tenses before attempting more complex structures.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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