Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

In today's world, people have an abundance of choices when it comes to medical treatments. This is due to new treatments gaining regular traction. I firmly believe that trying alternative medical treatments has a lot of positive development, as people can leverage different modalities of medical treatments and can also focus on long-term, life-altering positive habits.

To begin with, people suffering from chronic illnesses sometimes do not benefit from traditional doctors. Although traditional medicine has evolved a lot, every human body reacts differently. For example, an old-aged man's body would have become immune due to regular intake of pills. Thus, visiting the same doctor and consuming the same medicine would not help much. In addition to that, medicines prescribed by the doctor could have side effects, causing more harm than good to the patients.

Another positive development, a by-product of trying alternative medicines, is changes in lifestyle habits that pay off long-term, even after the health problem has been treated. Moreover, alternative medicines like homoeopathy work differently from allopathy, targeting the root cause of the issue rather than just fixing the symptoms as and when needed. In addition, when these medicines are paired with yoga or a healthy diet, they provide additional benefits that help prevent health problems later in life and also affect an individual's ageing.

To conclude, I am convinced that trying alternative medicines has significant advantages over sticking only to traditional medicine and doctors, and more people trying new options is definitely a positive development for our society.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have clearly stated your position that this is a positive development and maintained it throughout the essay. The ideas are relevant, particularly the discussion on the limitations of traditional medicine and the holistic benefits of alternative approaches. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the example of the 'old-aged man' is a bit vague and could have been more effectively linked to the broader argument. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is fully extended with more specific evidence or logical reasoning. Overall, you have addressed all parts of the prompt effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use a range of cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'In addition to that', and 'Moreover' to guide the reader through your arguments. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions between sentences could be more sophisticated to avoid a slightly mechanical feel. The progression of ideas is clear, and the central topic of each paragraph is well-supported by the subsequent sentences.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with some precision. Phrases like 'regular traction', 'leverage different modalities', and 'root cause' show an ability to use topic-specific language effectively. There are no significant spelling or word-choice errors that impede communication. To improve, try to incorporate more idiomatic expressions or less common collocations to demonstrate a wider, more flexible range. For example, instead of 'help much', you could use 'yield significant results'. Your current vocabulary is adequate for the task and allows for clear expression of your ideas.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures throughout the essay. Most of your sentences are clear and grammatically accurate. There are some minor issues, such as the phrasing 'has a lot of positive development', which is slightly unnatural; 'is a positive development' would be more accurate. You demonstrate good control over punctuation and sentence construction. To achieve a higher band, aim to incorporate a wider variety of complex grammatical structures, such as conditional sentences or passive voice, while maintaining the high level of accuracy you have already established.

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