Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-22

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)

It is often argued that whether a large number of people with health issues trying different medicines and treatment instead of sticking to their usual doctor a positive or negative development. I think it is a positive development, particularly because it provides them with highly skilled doctors and better treatments.

On of the major advantages of looking for alternative options is the ability to find out a highly competent professional. When people look for multiple options in better quality treatment, they can discover highly professional individuals in that field who know better than the local doctor or the regular doctor they go to. Despite being good, regular doctors might struggle with curing patients with long term health problems. Hence, influencing patience to look for alternative options when they are no longer satisfied with their prescription. For example, when I was struggling with hormonal acne for the longest time, I switched to a different dermatologist after a few month with the first one because i thought, he wasn't good enough. As i started the new medication i immediately noticed better results. Therefore, it is important to look for alternatives for something so serious as doctors.

Another positive impact is the knowledge about better treatment options. When people try to change medicines or treatments, they gain more information about different new medicines, treatments and cure. Consequently, it helps them to take informed decisions about how they want to treat their health problem after discussing it with their doctors. Moreover, they can compare the price ranges and any side-effect that can cause problems. For example, patients can choose between treatment options based on their affordability and the benefits Conversely, when people visit their usual doctors, they would not be able to assess their progress properly and might spend a fortune not knowing the availability of cheaper options.

In conclusion, I think it is a positive development that most people with health problems are looking for alternative cure and treatments options because quality treatment and highly skilled doctors can be discovered this way, while visiting the local doctors can be less effective in treating health problems.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position that the trend is positive. The ideas are relevant, focusing on access to expertise and informed decision-making. However, the development is somewhat repetitive. For instance, the argument about 'highly skilled doctors' is mentioned in both body paragraphs. While the personal example regarding acne is relevant, the essay could be improved by exploring the potential risks or the nuance of 'alternative' medicine more deeply to provide a more balanced or comprehensive view. Overall, the position is consistent, but the depth of analysis is limited.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a central theme. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'On of the major advantages', 'Consequently', and 'In conclusion'. However, there are instances of mechanical or slightly awkward usage, such as 'Conversely' used to introduce a point that is not strictly a contrast to the previous sentence. Referencing is generally clear, but the flow between sentences occasionally feels disjointed due to grammatical errors that interrupt the logical progression of ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There is an attempt to use topic-specific language like 'hormonal acne', 'dermatologist', and 'prescription'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are occasional errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'alternative cure and treatments options' (should be 'alternative cures and treatment options') and 'influencing patience' (should be 'influencing patients'). The vocabulary is sufficient to convey meaning but lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'It is often argued that whether... a positive or negative development' (missing a verb), 'On of the major' (should be 'One of'), and 'after a few month' (should be 'months'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are errors with capitalization (e.g., 'i' instead of 'I') and sentence fragments. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score.

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