Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-28

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 5.0)

Currently, health problem is a major issue in the world. Million of people in the world used their own prescribed medicines instead of checking from the doctor which cause the death of the people.

Firstly, it is very harmful for the person that do not take medicine with the prescription of the doctor. The main reason of that problem is the lack of awareness among people, and lack of education. When a person checkup himself from a doctor, he refer him some chemical test like blood test or urine test. These tests help the doctor to detect and diagnosis that problem. However, a huge number of people instead of checking themselves from the specialists, they take some usual medicine that relax themselves for a while but this is not a permanent solution. For example, A survey taken in Bahawalpur hospitals which shows the result that there are great number of person those are detected with major diseases like diabetes , hypertension, and mostly cancer.

Secondly, it has negative impact on our economical growth. If more people do not proper check themselves from doctor in illness, they pushed themselves towards the death and it has a major lost for the societies. It put badly effects on our environment and economic growth. For Example, Pakistan economic growth is lowest rather than the developed countries like USA because their population are more heathier than Pakistan.

In conclusion, there are variety of people that are used alternative medicines for every disease or problems which has major negative impact on their lives. It is better that a person with a symptoms of disease will check from the doctor and follow their instructions for enjoying meaningful life.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear negative stance on the use of alternative medicine. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention the lack of awareness and economic impact, the arguments are repetitive and lack depth. For instance, the link between alternative medicine and economic growth is asserted but not logically explained or supported with convincing evidence. The example regarding Pakistan's economy is tangential and does not directly support the argument about individual health choices. To improve, ensure each paragraph focuses on a single, well-developed point with specific, relevant examples that directly relate to the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For example, 'Firstly' and 'Secondly' are used, but the transitions between sentences within paragraphs are sometimes abrupt. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence 'there are great number of person those are detected', where the connection between the survey and the argument is weak. Improving the flow between sentences and using a wider variety of linking words would help achieve a higher band score.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. There are several instances of awkward word choices and collocations, such as 'checking from the doctor' instead of 'consulting a doctor' and 'relax themselves' instead of 'alleviate symptoms'. Additionally, there are errors in word forms, such as 'heathier' and 'economical growth' (where 'economic' would be more appropriate). To improve, focus on learning collocations and using more precise terminology related to health and medicine.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('Million of people... used', 'population are'), article usage ('the death of the people'), and sentence construction ('a person with a symptoms of disease will check from the doctor'). These errors are frequent enough to cause some difficulty for the reader. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles, and try to incorporate more complex structures with greater accuracy.

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

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