Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
medicines and treatments instead of visiting their usual doctor. I believe that it is a positive development because today's people have a knowledge about all kinds of medicines and also individuals do not face financial problem.
One of the major positive development is that people have knowledge about all kind of medicines. This is because people become more knowledgeable due to learn about medicines. For instance, many student learn new skills from not only online but also read new books and they get more information about disease and they easily face an illnesses. As a result, people who know information about all kinds of medicines they never face problem.
Moreover, individuals who have not financially stable so that time they use alternative medicines and treatments instead of visiting their usual doctor. Such as, in rural area people are not able to give high prices of medicines so that they try to solve a problem by their self.
However, there are some negative aspects such as, people who do not have proper knowledge about medicines so that time if they take a wrong medicines, they will loss their life. Even people take overdose of any type of medicines it effect on their life even they get infection.
In conclusion, although take medicines without prescription is not good, but have a knowledge about any kinds of medicines and disease is good because it is help them in every situation.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, which negatively impacts the task achievement score. While the essay addresses the prompt by taking a position, the development of ideas is limited and repetitive. The arguments regarding 'knowledge' and 'financial problems' are underdeveloped and lack sufficient depth or specific, illustrative examples. The conclusion is somewhat contradictory, as it acknowledges the dangers of self-medication while still maintaining that it is a positive development. To improve, you need to expand your arguments with more detailed reasoning and ensure your position is consistently supported throughout the essay.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate, such as the repetitive use of 'This is because' and 'As a result'. Some transitions are awkward, for example, 'so that time they use' and 'Such as, in rural area'. The progression of ideas is sometimes disjointed, particularly in the transition between the benefits and the risks. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that your sentences flow logically from one to the next.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is basic and often repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'medicines' and 'knowledge'. There are several instances of incorrect word choice and collocation, such as 'face financial problem' instead of 'face financial difficulties', and 'they will loss their life' instead of 'they will lose their lives'. The range of vocabulary is limited, which restricts your ability to express complex ideas clearly. To improve, try to learn synonyms and collocations related to health and economics, and pay closer attention to word forms (e.g., 'loss' vs 'lose').
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede communication. There are consistent issues with subject-verb agreement, article usage (e.g., 'in rural area'), and sentence structure (e.g., 'individuals who have not financially stable'). The range of sentence structures is limited, relying mostly on simple or poorly constructed complex sentences. Many sentences are fragmented or lack proper punctuation. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, specifically the correct use of auxiliary verbs and adjectives, and proofread your work to identify common errors in tense and pluralisation.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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