Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-29

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 7.0)

Nowadays, a growing number of people are choosing alternative medicines, like herbs and acupuncture, instead of visiting a regular doctor. In my opinion, this is a negative development because natural remedies can be dangerous for serious illnesses.

On the one hand, alternative medicine has some benefits for simple health problems. Natural treatments usually do not have harsh side effects like modern drugs do. For example, many people can fix minor problems like headaches, stress, or poor sleep just by changing their diet or practicing yoga. This helps them live a healthier lifestyle without taking too many chemical pills.

On the other hand, avoiding real doctors can cause major health problems. Even in today's advanced era, a significant number of individuals in my community remain unaware of the actual causes behind their medical conditions. For example, influenza widely known as the flu is frequently dismissed as a minor consequence of seasonal weather changes rather than a viral infection. Consequently, instead of seeking proper diagnoses, many resort to self-medicating with unverified traditional remedies. The biggest danger is that alternative treatments are not tested in scientific labs. If someone has a serious disease like cancer and only takes herbal medicine, they are wasting time. They might miss the chance to get important surgeries or treatments that could save their life. Furthermore, anyone can sell natural remedies, so patients might buy dangerous products from untrained people.

In conclusion, alternative treatments are good for small health issues and daily wellness. However, using them to replace real doctors is a dangerous trend. People should only use natural treatments as an extra help, not as a replacement for modern science

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have clearly addressed all parts of the prompt, providing a balanced view while maintaining a consistent position that this is a negative development. Your ideas are well-developed, particularly the distinction between using alternative medicine for minor ailments versus serious conditions. The example regarding cancer patients illustrates your point effectively. To reach a higher band, you could further extend your argument by discussing the socio-economic reasons why people might prefer alternative medicine, such as the high cost of conventional healthcare, which would add more depth to your analysis.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. You use cohesive devices effectively, such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'Consequently', to guide the reader through your argument. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the benefits from the dangers. The progression of ideas is smooth and easy to follow. To improve, ensure that the transition between the benefits of alternative medicine and the risks is even more seamless, perhaps by using a stronger contrastive link to emphasize the shift in your argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary, such as 'unverified traditional remedies', 'harsh side effects', and 'diagnoses'. The language is generally precise and appropriate for an academic essay. There are no significant spelling errors, and your word choices are accurate. To achieve a higher band, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations or less common idiomatic expressions that sound natural in an academic context, such as 'clinical efficacy' or 'holistic approach', to show a greater degree of lexical flexibility.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. Most of your sentences are error-free, and your control of punctuation is good. For example, the conditional sentence 'If someone has a serious disease... they are wasting time' is grammatically sound. There are very few errors, and those present do not impede communication. To improve, try to incorporate a wider variety of complex structures, such as passive voice constructions or inverted conditionals, to demonstrate a higher level of grammatical sophistication.

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