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)

It is an undeniable fact that number of health problems are increasing in today's contemporary epoch. Many people try different methods to cure their problems by trying alternative medicines and treatments from different doctors or hospitals instead of their regular doctor. The upcoming paragraphs will discuss why it is important to try alternative ways and how it brings positive development to cure the patients.

To begin with, many people prefer to try different ways to cure their problems because some of them believe that every doctor have different specialties to heal the problem. Firstly, patients have variety of option to choose the doctor according to their budget because many doctors charge high fees just for check-ups. As a result, many people cannot afford the high fees, so they go for the doctor who charge less and provide effective result. Secondly, for different health problems there are different doctors such as cardiology, surgeon or physician.

Many doctors provide alternative medicines and treatment instead of the previous one because every doctor use different equipments and methods. Choosing alternative way of treatment reduce the pressure of conventional healthcare system. People with small health problems can go to near by clinics rather then going to hospitals which can save the time of doctor and provide the patient affordable treatment. Many people have traditional treatments that can be done at homes if the problem is not that huge.

In conclusion, I believe that alternative medicines and treatments are beneficial because it provide great choices to people and help them to use different medical advancements.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing alternative medicine, but the development of ideas is inconsistent. While you mention cost and specialization as reasons for seeking alternatives, the argument lacks depth and clarity. For instance, the claim that 'every doctor use different equipments' is vague and does not clearly link to the concept of 'alternative medicine' (which usually refers to non-conventional practices like herbalism or acupuncture). The position is generally clear, but the supporting points are somewhat repetitive and lack specific examples to illustrate the 'positive development' you argue for. To improve, ensure each paragraph focuses on a distinct, well-explained reason supported by concrete evidence or logical reasoning.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'To begin with,' 'Firstly,' and 'In conclusion' to signal transitions. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear. For example, the transition between discussing doctor fees and the mention of 'cardiology' is abrupt. Additionally, some sentences are slightly disjointed, making the progression of ideas feel a bit forced. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of cohesive devices and ensure that the relationship between ideas is more fluid and natural.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. You rely on somewhat repetitive phrasing, such as 'cure their problems' and 'alternative medicines and treatments.' There are also some minor collocation errors, such as 'provide effective result' (should be 'results') and 'near by clinics' (should be 'nearby'). While your meaning is generally clear, the use of vocabulary is somewhat basic and lacks the flexibility needed to express more complex ideas. To improve, try to incorporate more topic-specific collocations and avoid repeating the same words throughout the essay.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'every doctor have,' 'every doctor use') and article usage (e.g., 'number of health problems,' 'variety of option'). There are also minor punctuation and spelling errors, such as 'near by' and 'then' instead of 'than.' While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on proofreading for basic agreement and article usage to improve your accuracy.

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

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