Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-27

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)

Nowadays, the number of people are growing who are taking different medications and treatments rather than consulting with their usual doctors. I strongly believe that this is a negative development.

There are number of reasons why the above argument is correct. First of all, people are very comfortable with their usual doctors as they know their doctor very well. Thus, they feel safe and they rely on their actual doctors. Since the doctors also know their patients, they can easily identify their problems which is very important for treatments. The doctors have ideas how to deal with thier patients. So, they can provide actual treatment. For instance, I have a family doctor and I know him from my childhood. I go to his hospital when I face any health issues. He treats me very well and we become very close thats why I can tell him my real problems without any hesitation.

In addition, there are some fake doctors also who have fake degrees. So, before doctor selection you have to be aware, otherwise you might fall in a trap. As, health is very sensitive, we should take medicine and treatment from someone whom I know very well. Thats why usual doctors are berrer. Another reason is that new doctors might not give you that much time which is not an issue to your actual doctor. Besides, nowadays, there are many fake medicines are available in the market. So, you should follow the medication list of someone who is trustworthy. Otherwise, this may harm to your health.

In conclusion, health is very essential for everyone and we should take proper and authentic treatments. Therefore, usual doctors are the perfect option to take treatments. I will argue that everyone should keep faith on his actual doctors.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position that the trend is negative. You provide reasons such as the importance of patient-doctor rapport and the risks of unqualified practitioners. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat repetitive. For example, the argument about 'fake doctors' and 'fake medicines' occupies a significant portion of the essay but lacks depth or specific examples beyond general warnings. To reach a higher band, you should expand on the consequences of alternative medicine more analytically, perhaps discussing the potential for delayed diagnosis or the lack of scientific evidence, rather than focusing primarily on the trustworthiness of the practitioner.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear central topic. You use basic cohesive devices like 'First of all', 'In addition', and 'In conclusion' to guide the reader. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the use of referencing is occasionally imprecise, such as in the sentence 'which is not an issue to your actual doctor', where the connection to the previous clause is unclear. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that pronouns clearly refer back to their antecedents would enhance the overall coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your meaning clearly. You use some relevant terms like 'consulting', 'authentic', and 'trustworthy'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a reliance on simple, repetitive phrasing such as 'usual doctors' and 'fake doctors'. There are also minor errors in word choice, such as 'berrer' (better) and 'harm to your health' (which should be 'cause harm to your health'). To improve, try to incorporate more precise academic collocations and avoid repeating the same basic descriptors throughout the essay.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('the number of people are growing'), article usage ('the above argument'), and punctuation errors (missing commas). Additionally, there are spelling mistakes like 'thier' and 'berrer'. While these errors do not prevent communication, they are frequent enough to keep the score in the 6.0 range. Focusing on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and article consistency will help improve your accuracy.

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

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