Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-16

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)

Majority of the population currently is slowly deviating from the usual norm of being treated in hospital due to a number of reasons. I will discuss some of the positive and negative developments resulting from this life charging decision.

First, medication is very costly. Most of the drugs given in hospitals are very expensive , additionally they need to be taken on a daily basis, this creates a big dent in the patient's pocket and therefore proves to be an uphill task especially for the low income earners. Whereas use of alternative means of treatment like herbal medicine can be a cheaper option. A good example is the case of a patient suffering from a terminal malady, the drugs cost an arm and a leg to purchase and this proves to be very detrimental in the healing journey hence resulting in one losing hope but if they use a different option ,they may find a new lease of life.

However, sourcing alternative means of treatment can be a fatal mistake that can lead to death. For example a patient who resorts to herbal medication to treat a certain ailment may end up causing other problems for themselves in that the bitter herbs can damage the kidneys and as a result cause one to incur extra costs of treating a different illness.

Therefore, in my opinion I think one needs to do proper research on the alternatives they pick so as to avoid self inflicted harm, proper diet should also be put into consideration as prevention is better than cure.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both the positive and negative aspects of alternative medicine. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention cost as a positive factor and health risks as a negative one, the arguments could be more thoroughly extended with more specific evidence or nuanced reasoning. The introduction is slightly vague, and the conclusion is a bit abrupt. To improve, ensure that each body paragraph provides a clear, well-supported argument that directly links back to the prompt's core question about whether this trend is positive or negative.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your argument. You use some cohesive devices like 'First', 'However', and 'Therefore' to signal transitions. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes a bit mechanical. For instance, the transition between the cost of medication and the example of a terminal malady could be smoother. Additionally, some referencing is slightly unclear, such as the opening sentence which lacks a clear subject. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using phrases like 'terminal malady', 'detrimental', and 'new lease of life'. However, there are some instances of slightly unnatural collocation or word choice, such as 'life charging decision' (likely meant 'life-changing') and 'incur extra costs of treating a different illness'. While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. To improve, focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and ensuring that idioms or collocations are used in the correct context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'Majority of the population currently is slowly deviating' (missing article 'The'), 'Most of the drugs... are very expensive , additionally they need' (comma splice), and 'in my opinion I think' (redundant). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with spacing around commas. While these errors do not prevent the meaning from being understood, they occur frequently enough to impact the score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and avoiding comma splices by using appropriate conjunctions or semicolons.

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

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