Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

In recent times, it is commonly observed that a significant amount of sick people are preparing home-based medication than getting prescribed by a doctor. I personally think there are more positive sides of this .The possible reasons for this and why it is a positive development will be mentioned in the following paragraphs.

To begin with, a few of the major reasons include convenience for people. For example, there are a lot of remedy videos available on social media platforms like You tube that suggest proper treatment measures. Moreover, people believe that minor diseases like high fever and cold can be easily cured at home safely.In addition, people are highly dependent on AI for getting help regarding various problems in their daily life. And its usage for medicinal suggestions are widely considered accurate.

On the other side, it is a positive development because it is widely observed as a way of early treatment. For example, visiting a hospital and showing to a doctor takes a lot of time. Besides being time consuming, it is also expensive. Few hospitals prescribe medicines that cost an arm and a leg for a small proportion of people. For instance, many private hospitals use the most expensive procedures or courses for proper treatment which is not affordable for many people. In contrast, government hospitals are cheaper and mostly free, but often take long queues and waiting time for all the individuals.

In conclusion, I strongly believe that home based medications are a positive development. Mainly due to its convenience and only a minimal money spent on the treatments.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position that alternative medicine is a positive development. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. While you mention convenience and cost, the arguments regarding AI and social media are not fully explored or linked effectively to the core issue of medical safety. The essay would benefit from more nuanced discussion regarding the risks of self-diagnosis versus the benefits of accessibility. You have addressed all parts of the task, but the supporting examples, such as the mention of 'remedy videos', lack depth and critical analysis, which limits the overall impact of your argument.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. You use some cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Moreover', and 'In contrast' to guide the reader. However, the transition between ideas is sometimes mechanical, and the flow within paragraphs could be smoother. For instance, the jump from social media videos to AI usage feels abrupt. Additionally, some sentences are fragmented or lack clear logical connectors, such as the sentence starting with 'And its usage...'. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each sentence flows naturally from the previous one would enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'prescribed', 'convenience', and 'affordable'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'significant amount of sick people' is unnatural; 'a significant number of people suffering from health issues' would be more precise. The phrase 'cost an arm and a leg' is an idiom that is generally too informal for an academic essay. You attempt to use some less common vocabulary, but the overall control is inconsistent. Expanding your range of academic collocations and avoiding informal idioms will help you achieve a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'there are more positive sides of this'), incorrect preposition usage, and punctuation errors, such as missing spaces after periods. Some sentences are also slightly awkward in their construction, such as 'showing to a doctor takes a lot of time'. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your message, they indicate a need for more careful proofreading and a stronger grasp of complex sentence formation to reach a higher band level.

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

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