Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-03

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 is seen that an increasing number of people with health issues are trying alternative medicines and therapies rather than reaching their conventional doctors. Although it gives a temporary relief from complication, but i believe this trend can have a wider negative outcomes in future.

On the one hand, people are actively seeking different medicines and treatments because there are number of people who find their usual doctors expensive and patients may not be able afford therapies. Furthermore, there could be another possible reason and that is, trust and lack of guidance. For Instance, sometimes people feel they are being misguided and eventually they lose hope and trust in their conventional therapies and physician.

On the other hand, although alternatives indeed provide relief and are more affordable than their standard treatments. But the big picture which is often ignored by public is that, these alternatives always come with side effects. In addition, there are some other drawbacks such as lack of scientific evidence and poor regulations. The biggest risk it contains is lack of actual scientific research and proofs. These alternatives are not usually proven or researched by scientific research institutes. And poor regulations are exist as well. For example, Such companies which develop alternative medicines and treatments do not approve their works because no strict laws exist and corporations always capitalize these flaws.

In conclusion, after briefly and thoroughly examining both positive and negative developments, it will not be wrong to believe that it has more negative impacts on people's health.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both the reasons for the trend and the negative implications. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the argument regarding 'lack of guidance' is mentioned but not fully explained, and the discussion on 'poor regulations' is repetitive. While a clear position is established in the introduction and maintained throughout, the supporting points lack depth and specific, concrete examples. To reach a higher band, you should expand on your arguments with more detailed analysis or specific real-world scenarios rather than repeating the same points about scientific research and regulations.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand,' 'Furthermore,' and 'In conclusion' to link your thoughts. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, such as starting a sentence with 'But' after an 'Although' clause in the third paragraph, which creates a fragmented structure. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, and the flow between sentences could be smoother to better connect the supporting evidence to the main arguments.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your meaning clearly. You use some relevant terms like 'conventional doctors,' 'scientific evidence,' and 'capitalize.' However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a reliance on simple phrasing. There are also minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'poor regulations are exist as well' and 'it contains is lack of actual scientific research.' To improve, try to incorporate more precise academic collocations and avoid repetitive phrasing when discussing the drawbacks of alternative medicine.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors that affect the fluency of the text. Examples include 'it is seen that' (passive voice misuse), 'there are number of people' (missing article), and 'poor regulations are exist' (incorrect verb form). Additionally, there are punctuation issues, such as the comma splice in the first paragraph: 'Although it gives a temporary relief from complication, but i believe...' You should focus on subject-verb agreement and avoiding redundant conjunctions to improve your accuracy.

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

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