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 provide relevant arguments, such as the empowerment of patients through research and the availability of diverse treatment modalities like Yoga. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. For instance, the argument regarding 'better quality doctors' is slightly confused, as the prompt specifically asks about 'alternative medicines' rather than just switching between conventional doctors. To reach a higher band, ensure that your examples directly support the specific topic of alternative medicine rather than general medical consumerism. Overall, the response is well-focused and meets the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a central theme. You use cohesive devices such as 'For instance,' 'Moreover,' and 'In conclusion' to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally imprecise, such as the phrase 'One of the major advantages of it' which lacks a clear antecedent. The progression of ideas is generally smooth, but the connection between the introduction and the body paragraphs could be more tightly integrated to improve the flow. Paragraphing is used appropriately throughout the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'persistent,' 'dermatologist,' and 'conventional practitioners' effectively. There are some instances of slightly awkward phrasing, such as 'take decision with knowing available options' and 'better quality doctors options,' which hinder the natural flow of the text. While you attempt to use more sophisticated vocabulary, some word choices are not entirely precise. To improve, focus on collocations and ensuring that your word forms (e.g., 'informed decision' vs 'take decision') are used accurately in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are recurring grammatical errors, such as missing articles ('the' before 'alternative medicines'), punctuation issues (missing commas after introductory phrases), and minor errors in subject-verb agreement or pluralization (e.g., 'better heath treatment'). The sentence structure is generally functional, but the frequency of these small errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for articles and basic punctuation would significantly enhance the accuracy of your writing.

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