Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-01

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)

In the recent time, increasing amount of individuals are trying to improve their illness with home remedies rather than consulting a doctor for their treatments. I personally think that it affects their health and it is a negative development as a society. This essays covers the reasons and effects of it.

One of the major reason could be, Many people find it embarrassing to consult a doctor for their minor illness such as, viral fever and cough. They try to heal themselves with alternatives of medicines. For example, herbal tea or by hot steam. Furthermore, many folks do not visit hospitals due to high fees of doctors and medicines. The increasing prices of medical items are influencing lot of people to move towards Ayurvedic treatment.

The growing number of people are treating themselves at home but, there are negatives of it. To do a treatment at home may cost little less but it increases the seriousness of diseases. For instance, many cancer patients do not know about their medical condition in starting stages and avoid it considering a minor health problem. However, it turns out to be danger in second or third stage. Moreover, by taking medicines without prescription increases the chance of getting sick. Because as an individuals we do not know the exact power of a medicines so, it can cause damage to our body.

To conclude, doctors plays vital in our society. Many people try to cure themselves with home remedies but in i completely believe that doctors are hero of our life.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position that the trend is negative. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. While you mention reasons like cost and embarrassment, the explanation of why these lead to negative health outcomes is underdeveloped. For instance, the link between 'not knowing the power of medicines' and the resulting damage is vague. To reach a higher band, you should provide more specific, logical links between your arguments and the consequences. The conclusion is also quite brief and does not fully summarize the main points discussed in the body paragraphs.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your argument. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'For instance', and 'To conclude'. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly inaccurate, such as starting a sentence with 'Because as an individuals...' which creates a fragment. Additionally, the flow between sentences could be smoother; some transitions feel abrupt. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would significantly enhance the overall coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. You rely on basic phrasing such as 'increasing amount of individuals' and 'minor health problem'. There are also some issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'improve their illness' (illnesses are treated or managed, not improved) and 'doctors plays vital' (missing the word 'roles'). To improve, focus on using more academic collocations and precise terminology related to healthcare, rather than relying on general-purpose language.

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 ('doctors plays'), article usage ('the' missing before 'second or third stage'), and pluralization ('an individuals'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are persistent throughout the text. To improve, focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring that articles and plural forms are used consistently. Increasing the variety of complex sentence structures while maintaining accuracy will also help raise your score.

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

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