Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

In the present day, a substantial 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 medication 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 numerous 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 medicines 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 all parts of the prompt, clearly stating a position that the trend is negative. The ideas are relevant, focusing on the limitations of alternative medicine for serious conditions and the diagnostic value of professional medical check-ups. However, the development is somewhat limited; the examples provided, such as the comparison between diabetes and fever, are a bit simplistic and could be more thoroughly explained to demonstrate a deeper understanding of the topic. While the position is clear throughout, the arguments could benefit from more nuanced exploration of why people turn to alternative medicine in the first place to provide a more balanced and comprehensive discussion.

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. Cohesive devices such as 'Although', 'For instance', 'As a result', and 'Turning to' are used effectively to link sentences and paragraphs. However, the referencing is occasionally repetitive, particularly the frequent use of 'the doctor' or 'the patient' in a way that feels slightly mechanical. Improving the variety of cohesive transitions and using more sophisticated referencing would elevate the flow of the essay to a higher band.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task and allows for clear communication. You demonstrate a good grasp of topic-specific terms like 'alternative medicines', 'medical condition', and 'expertise'. However, the range is somewhat restricted, and there is a tendency to repeat certain phrases, such as 'alternative medicines and treatments' and 'visiting the doctor'. To reach a higher band, you should aim to incorporate more precise synonyms and collocations, such as 'holistic approaches', 'conventional medicine', or 'preventative care', to show a more flexible and sophisticated command of the English language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are grammatically accurate, and errors are rare and do not impede communication. For example, the use of conditional structures and complex sentences starting with 'Although' or 'For example' shows a good level of control. However, the range of complex structures is somewhat limited. To improve, try to incorporate a wider variety of grammatical forms, such as passive voice constructions or more varied subordinate clauses, to demonstrate greater flexibility and precision in your writing.

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.