Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-25

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, an increasing number of people with health problems are trying alternative medicines and treatments rather than seeing their usual doctor. While this trend offers certain advantages, I believe this is a negative development because it may affect their health in long run and may lose their life. Also, people nowadays do not believe in health professionals because of these alternatives.

On the one hand, trying different medicines and treatments can be seen as a positive development because it provides people with different options. They don't have to depend on doctors for treatment, and it also costs less than going to a doctor. For example, when a patient try alternative medicines like, natural herbs which is not expensive. Moreover, it doesn't have any side effects like any other medicines that may cause problem in future. This lead patients to save their money which they can invest in other developmental activities.

On the other hand, there are several negative consequences of this trend. Firstly, people who use these alternatives may not have any knowledge regarding the treatments. This will sometimes lead to death of patients. Secondly, it may cause delay in diagnosis which should be identified earlier. For instance, there are some disease that needs timely checkup but due to this alternative treatments it may become more serious.

In conclusion, although there are more people with health problems trying alternative medicines provide options and are cost-friendly, it also creates challenges such as delay in diagnosis and death of a person.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention that alternative medicine can be dangerous, the explanation lacks depth; for instance, the claim that it 'may lose their life' is a strong assertion that requires more nuanced supporting evidence or examples. The points regarding cost and side effects are relevant but could be expanded with more specific detail to fully satisfy the requirements of a Band 7 response. The conclusion is a bit repetitive and does not fully synthesise the arguments presented.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into clear paragraphs, and there is a logical progression of ideas. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', 'Firstly', and 'Secondly' to signal the structure. However, the use of these devices is somewhat mechanical, and the transitions between sentences within paragraphs could be smoother. Referencing is generally clear, but some sentences feel disconnected. To improve, try to use a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence that directly supports your main argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for a higher band. You rely on common phrases like 'health problems', 'positive development', and 'negative consequences'. While these are accurate, they are quite generic. There are also some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'cost-friendly' (which should be 'cost-effective') and 'developmental activities'. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to the topic, such as 'holistic', 'conventional medicine', 'efficacy', or 'clinical oversight'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of reading. For example, 'when a patient try' should be 'when a patient tries', and 'there are some disease that needs' should be 'there are some diseases that need'. Additionally, the phrase 'may lose their life' is grammatically awkward in this context. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focus on subject-verb agreement and pluralisation to improve accuracy.

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