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)

In recent years, the increasing number of patients with health issues trying out alternative medicines and treatments instead of going to their regular doctors has been a topic of discussion. In my opinion, it is a positive development, particularly because, it gives patients access to a wide range of better treatment and highly skilled medical practitioner options.

One of the major advantages of it is the availability of multiple highly skilled doctors according to one's medical condition. When people have many options, they do not stick to average skilled specialists. They can easily change their doctor as per their preference. For instance, when i was struggling with persistent hormonal acne, i changed my dermatologist after a few month as i was not satisfied with this prescription. Soon after the change i could visibly notice a better result, indicating sometimes alternative options can bring better outcomes. Moreover, many health issues can be cured through different methods like Yoga, which conventional practitioners do not suggest. This way patients can have multiple options to choose from.

Another positive aspect is the knowledge about forms of treatment. People looking for alternative treatment options do their own research about their health issues, medicines, cures, prices, any possible side-effect of the treatments, which helps them to take a more informed decision based on their financial affordability and medical accuracy when doctors suggest them something. Meanwhile, patients who visit conventional doctors are mostly unaware of these and take decision with knowing available options. For instance, one may invest a fortune in a treatment which has cheaper options elsewhere.

In conclusion, I think trying alternative health care is a positive development because of the knowledge about multiple forms of treatments and better quality doctors options, while visiting usual practitioner can limit the access to better heath treatment.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses the prompt clearly, maintaining a consistent position that the trend is positive. You have provided relevant examples, such as the personal anecdote about acne and the mention of Yoga, to support your arguments. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. The argument regarding 'alternative medicines' is occasionally conflated with 'choosing different conventional doctors,' which slightly weakens the focus on the specific topic of alternative vs. conventional medicine. To reach a higher band, ensure that your supporting points directly address the distinction between alternative treatments and standard medical practice more consistently throughout the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'One of the major advantages,' 'For instance,' and 'In conclusion' to guide the reader. However, the flow is occasionally interrupted by minor mechanical issues, such as the comma splice in the introduction ('particularly because, it gives') and some slightly repetitive phrasing. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and there is a clear progression of ideas from the benefits of choice to the benefits of patient research. Improving the variety of linking words would enhance the overall flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'persistent,' 'dermatologist,' and 'financial affordability.' There are some instances of slightly unnatural collocation, such as 'better quality doctors options' or 'medical accuracy.' While your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher bands. To improve, focus on using more academic collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing like 'multiple options' or 'better outcomes' by using synonyms or more descriptive adjectives.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this level. However, there are frequent minor errors in grammar and punctuation, such as missing articles ('with knowing available options'), inconsistent capitalization ('i' instead of 'I'), and punctuation errors (missing commas after introductory phrases). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and article usage will help you achieve greater accuracy in your writing.

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

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