Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-30
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, in this fiercely competitive world, there is a growing trend of people starting to rely on alternative medicines or treatments to cure mental or physical illness instead of visiting clinic or hospital for proper treatment. While every people have different belief, cultural background, or level of education, I believe this trend is neither positive or negative as every person have the freedom to choose the best treatment for themself regardless of outcome.
On one hand, a growing number of people with different culture and background start using alternative medicines and treatments to treat their health problems. Asian culture often use therapies such as acupuncture, yoga or meditation to cure their bodies and minds as they believe it is much better and cheaper treatments compared to visiting a health specialist in hospital. Many minds-body alternative therapies are incredibly affordable or free. Practicing meditation, yoga or breathing exercises via internet or community groups are highly productive way to manage anxiety and relaxing their bodies. Furthermore,
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response is significantly under the required word count of 250 words, reaching only 164 words. This failure to meet the length requirement severely limits the development of ideas. While the introduction presents a position, the body paragraph is incomplete and cuts off abruptly. The task requires a balanced discussion or a clear argument supported by relevant examples, but the current text lacks the depth and extension necessary to fully address the prompt. Because the response is unfinished and fails to meet the minimum length, it cannot be awarded a score higher than 5.0 for task achievement.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay shows some attempt at logical organization, using transition signals like 'On one hand' and 'Furthermore'. However, the abrupt ending prevents the development of a coherent structure. Paragraphing is present, but the lack of a conclusion and the incomplete nature of the second paragraph disrupt the overall flow. Cohesive devices are used in a somewhat mechanical way, and the progression of ideas is halted by the unfinished state of the text. To improve, you must ensure that each paragraph is fully developed and that the essay concludes with a summary of your main points.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, with some relevant terms such as 'alternative medicines', 'acupuncture', and 'health specialist'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'every people have' (should be 'everyone has') and 'minds-body' (should be 'mind-body'). The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, relying on basic descriptors. To achieve a higher band, you should aim to use more precise collocations and a wider variety of academic vocabulary to express your ideas more fluently and accurately.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The text contains several grammatical errors that affect clarity. For instance, 'every people have' is a subject-verb agreement error, and 'neither positive or negative' should be 'neither positive nor negative'. There are also issues with pluralization and article usage, such as 'visiting clinic' (should be 'a clinic'). While you attempt some complex structures, the frequency of errors is noticeable. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, correct use of articles, and ensuring that your sentence structures are grammatically sound. The current level of accuracy is insufficient for a higher band score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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