Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-21

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)

In today's evolving era, the use of alternative medicines were high. A growing number of individuals with health issues are try duplicate medicines and treatments instead of visiting their usual doctor. In my opinion, this is a negative development because alternative medicine was harmful for our human body.

One major disadvantages use of alternative medicine is not successfully illness remove from over body. This medicine give only normal treatment but cannot provide real medicine care. For example, a person suffering from a serious infection may choose herbal remedies instead of taking prescribed medicine. As a result, the illness could become worse because the person does not receive appropriate treatment at the right time.

Another problem is that people may receive incorrect medical advice from unqualified practitioners or information found online. Some alternative treatments can also interact negatively with conventional medicines. This can create additional health risks, particularly for people with serious or long-term illnesses. Therefore, consulting a qualified doctor is generally a safer option because doctors can diagnose the problem accurately and recommend suitable treatment.

However, alternative medicine can sometimes be useful when it is used alongside conventional medical treatment and under professional guidance. For instance, activities such as meditation, yoga and certain forms of massage may help people reduce stress or manage minor health problems. Nevertheless, these methods should not be considered a complete replacement for medical treatment when someone has a serious condition.

In conclusion, although some alternative treatments can have benefits, I believe that increasingly relying on them instead of visiting a doctor is a negative development. People should seek professional medical advice and use alternative treatments only when they are safe and appropriate.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing a clear position that the trend is negative. The ideas are relevant and logically developed, particularly in the body paragraphs where you discuss the risks of ineffective treatment and the dangers of misinformation. The inclusion of a concession paragraph adds depth to the argument, showing a balanced perspective. To reach a higher band, ensure that your main points are supported with more specific, illustrative examples rather than general statements. For instance, instead of just mentioning 'serious infection,' you could briefly explain why herbal remedies fail to address bacterial pathogens, which would strengthen your argument significantly.

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 easy to follow. You use a variety of cohesive devices such as 'For example,' 'As a result,' 'Another problem,' and 'Nevertheless' to link your thoughts effectively. However, the paragraphing is slightly repetitive in its structure, and some transitions feel a bit mechanical. To improve, try to vary the way you introduce your points and ensure that the relationship between sentences is always smooth and natural rather than relying on standard linking phrases.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'conventional medicines,' 'unqualified practitioners,' and 'diagnose.' However, there are several instances of awkward phrasing and incorrect word choices, such as 'use of alternative medicines were high' (should be 'is high') and 'illness remove from over body' (should be 'remove illness from our bodies'). These errors occasionally hinder the precision of your argument. To improve, focus on learning collocations—words that naturally go together—and proofread to ensure that your word forms (e.g., nouns vs. verbs) are used correctly in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt to use complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement ('alternative medicine was harmful') and article usage. Some sentences are also structurally confusing, such as 'One major disadvantages use of alternative medicine is not successfully illness remove.' These errors are noticeable and occasionally force the reader to re-read to understand your meaning. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction and subject-verb agreement before attempting more complex structures. Consistent proofreading for small errors like pluralization and verb tense consistency will help raise your score.

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