Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-02

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 recent times, it has been observed that health related issues has increased which influence individuals to use alternative medicines and treatments instead of medical checkup. I strongly believe that this is a negative development that nowadays there is growing number of people with health problems due to trying alternative medicines and treatments instead of visiting the usual doctor a. Considering that there are several negative impacts on health such as development of undesirable chronic diseases as well as death.

To commence with, development of undesirable chronic diseases which can prosper in the body, however, due to medical checkups and treatment it may become uncurable. For example, my father had been always feeling nausea, headache, sleep deprivation, and so on but instead of going to the hospital, he would go to pharmacy in which he failed to cure his diabetes. As a result, such scenario, can hinder the health of people as we´ll as the well-being. Therefore, it can be beneficial if people visit doctors instead using random medicines.

Another perspective that cannot be denied is that if individuals lack proper medication, it might lead to death. To demonstrate, our neighbor was also feeling nausea and had fever as he thought it was just a normal feeling, he just took random medicine after one day he lost his life because he did not take his sickness seriously. As a result, alternative medicines and treatment can affect people`s health which might even result to loss of lives. Hence, individuals must visit doctors for regular checkups and improved treatment.

In conclusion, it can be faster to get alternative treatment as well as medication although receiving excellent medication is essential for splendid health.

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 limited and repetitive. The arguments regarding chronic disease and death are relevant but lack depth, relying on anecdotal evidence rather than broader analysis. The conclusion is very brief and does not effectively summarize the main points or restate the position in a sophisticated manner. To improve, you should aim to provide more nuanced reasoning and ensure that your supporting examples are clearly linked to the main argument without becoming overly simplistic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'To commence with' and 'Another perspective that cannot be denied'. Some transitions between sentences are abrupt, and the logical flow within paragraphs is occasionally hindered by grammatical errors. Referencing is sometimes unclear, making it difficult to track the subject matter. Improving the variety and naturalness of your linking words will help create a smoother progression of ideas throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. You rely on basic terms like 'random medicines' and 'health related issues' repeatedly. There are also some issues with collocation, such as 'prosper in the body' or 'result to loss of lives', which sound unnatural. While the meaning is generally clear, the range of vocabulary is limited, and there is little evidence of less common or idiomatic language. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise academic collocations and synonyms to avoid repetition.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the essay, including subject-verb agreement issues (e.g., 'health related issues has increased') and awkward sentence structures. Some sentences are run-on or fragmented, which impacts readability. While you attempt to use complex structures, they are often inaccurate, leading to confusion. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of apostrophes (e.g., 'we´ll' and 'people`s'). To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction and proofreading for common errors in agreement and verb tense consistency.

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