Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

People often argue that the number of people trying alternative medicines and treatments instead of visiting their usual doctor regarding health issues are increasing nowadays, a topic that continues to generate considerable debate. From my perspective, i believe that it is a positive development becuase it not only helps to reduce workload from professionals but also can be a cheaper and faster option.

One of the main reasons why i think this is a positive development is that it may helps to reduce significant pressure on doctors. In this modern world, the number of health issues dramatically increased alongside technological development. However, there is a lack of doctors can be seen in many countries. Therefore, it is high time to not only rely on professionals. People may go for alternative medicines and treatments. As a result, doctors may get proper time to provide their services and people may get proper medications without visiting their usual doctors.

Another important reason is that alternative medicines and treatments may significantly reduce the time and the cost. Many modern medicines might have the ability to treat health issues faster than the conventional treatments. Additionally, modern treatments can be less expensive than visiting a usual doctor because of their efficiency and advanced techniques. However, people can get many advanced treatments from home over the internet. For instance, a growing number of people rely on online treatments around the world.

In conclusion, I firmly believe that it is a positive development becuase it may reduce both cost and time to get proper treatments as well as reduce the workload of 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 positive. The main ideas—reducing doctor workload and potential cost/time benefits—are relevant. However, the development is somewhat superficial. For example, the claim that 'modern medicines might have the ability to treat health issues faster' is vague and lacks specific examples or logical depth. The argument regarding 'online treatments' is also underdeveloped and slightly confusing in the context of 'alternative medicine.' To reach a higher band, you should provide more concrete examples or nuanced explanations of why these alternatives are effective or safe, rather than making broad, unsubstantiated claims.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a clear central topic. Cohesive devices such as 'One of the main reasons,' 'Additionally,' and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader. However, the progression of ideas within the second body paragraph is slightly disjointed; the transition from 'cost and time' to 'online treatments' feels abrupt. Furthermore, some referencing is slightly mechanical. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would enhance the flow and coherence of the essay.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the message to be conveyed clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'conventional treatments' and 'technological development.' However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a reliance on basic phrasing. There are also minor errors in word choice, such as 'reduce workload from professionals' (should be 'reduce the workload of professionals'). To improve, try to incorporate more precise academic collocations and synonyms to avoid repetition of words like 'positive development' and 'treatments.'

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors that detract from the quality. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('the number of people... are increasing' should be 'is increasing'; 'it may helps' should be 'it may help') and missing articles or incorrect prepositions. Additionally, the pronoun 'i' is not capitalized. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and capitalization would significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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