Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

In the present day, a significantly increasing number of individuals with health problems are utilizing alternative medicines and treatments instead of visiting their usual doctor. Although alternative medicines can sometimes be valuable, I personally believe that this is a negative development because certain health problems cannot be cured through medicines alone and alternative treatments can possibly aggravate the medical condition.

Looking at alternative medicines and treatments, these approaches can help cure minor health problems such as fevers and headaches but aren't able to cure major medical conditions such as pneumonia and diabetes. For instance, when a person has diabetes, he may be asked to visit his doctor's office every week for an injection, but when an individual has a fever, he may be asked to take meds instead. As a result, minor health problems can be cured by using alternative medicines and treatments.

Turning to the importance of visiting a doctor, there are plenty of benefits when visiting the doctor's office such as discovering a medical condition. For example, when a patient usually visits his doctor every month for a checkup, sometimes the doctor, using his expertise, can discover that the patient has a medical condition. Consequently, the patient can receive appropriate treatment before the condition becomes more serious.

In conclusion, although alternative medicine and treatments can sometimes be beneficial, I firmly believe that using them instead of visiting the doctor is a negative development, as the doctor can detect a medical condition and cure it as soon as possible and identify major health problems.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses the prompt clearly and maintains a consistent position throughout. You have identified the topic as a negative development and provided reasons, such as the inability of alternative medicine to treat major conditions and the diagnostic value of professional medical checkups. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the example regarding diabetes and fever is a bit simplistic and does not fully explore the complexities of the issue. To reach a higher band, ensure that your arguments are more deeply extended with more sophisticated reasoning or broader real-world examples that demonstrate a more nuanced understanding of the topic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'For instance', 'As a result', and 'In conclusion' effectively to link your points. However, the transitions between sentences are sometimes a bit repetitive, and the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical. To improve, try to vary your linking words and use more sophisticated referencing to connect ideas across sentences more fluidly, rather than relying on standard transitional phrases at the start of every paragraph.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is generally appropriate and sufficient for the task. You demonstrate the ability to use topic-specific terms like 'alternative medicines', 'medical condition', and 'expertise'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a tendency to repeat words like 'medicines', 'treatments', and 'doctor' frequently. There is little evidence of less common or idiomatic vocabulary. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more precise synonyms and collocations, such as 'holistic approaches', 'conventional medicine', or 'diagnostic procedures', to show a wider lexical range and more sophisticated control over your word choices.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a good control of basic sentence structures and your writing is generally error-free. You use a mix of simple and complex sentences, such as 'Although alternative medicines can sometimes be valuable, I personally believe...'. While the grammar is accurate, the range of complex structures is somewhat limited. Most of your sentences follow a similar pattern. To improve, try to incorporate a wider variety of grammatical structures, such as passive voice, conditional sentences, or relative clauses, to demonstrate greater flexibility. Your punctuation is generally accurate, which helps maintain clarity throughout the essay.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.