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 years, an increasing number of people have chosen alternative treatments and medicines instead of visiting their regular doctor. Although alternative medicines may have some benefits, like cheaper and natural solutions, I believe that this approach has negative development.

There are some advantages of using alternative treatments. Firstly, it is not expensive and easily accessible when required. Therefore, for small diseases like mild cold or headache, individuals often prefer traditional remedies which are cheaper and can be available without much struggle. Moreover these old remedies includes herbal medicines which have almost no side-effects. This is because now a growing number of people relying on these immediate solutions. For example, in case of stress or anxiety, herbal tea is consider as a best option.

However ignoring professional doctors and completly focusing on alternative solutions often cause serious health issues. For instance, in case of cancer or severe heart disease, choosing alternative options may provide temporary relief but in a long-term it may worsen the disease or may reduce the chances of recovery. Furthermore advice of qualified doctor is based on individual's medical history. Which is useful in finding out the underlying causes of disease. Therefore for proper treatment its worthy to take advice of specialist, instead of considering alternative solutions.

In conclusion, however alternative treatments are cheaper and natural. Moreover can be helpful for diseases like headache, stress or anxiety In my opinion, they can not be replaced by opinions of professional doctors. Moreover Qualified doctors prescribe medicines according to the medical history of person which results in accurate and precised solutions. So that choosing alternative treatments and medicines is a negative development overall.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all parts of the prompt and maintained a clear position throughout the essay. Your ideas are relevant, and you provide logical reasons for your stance, such as the risks of ignoring professional medical advice for serious conditions like cancer. However, some ideas could be developed further; for instance, the discussion on 'natural' remedies is somewhat brief. To reach a higher band, ensure that your supporting examples are fully explained to demonstrate a deeper level of critical thinking. Overall, the response is well-focused on the prompt, and your conclusion effectively reinforces your main argument.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. You use cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Moreover', 'However', and 'In conclusion' to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and there are instances where sentence structure impacts flow, such as the sentence fragment 'Which is useful in finding out the underlying causes of disease.' Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that sentences are complete will help your writing flow more naturally. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the advantages and disadvantages.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'alternative treatments', 'professional doctors', and 'underlying causes'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'small diseases' (should be 'minor illnesses') and 'precised solutions' (should be 'precise solutions'). You attempt to use some less common vocabulary, but these occasional inaccuracies prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on learning collocations—words that naturally go together—and ensure you are using the correct form of adjectives and nouns.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the reader. For example, 'these old remedies includes' (subject-verb agreement error) and 'in a long-term' (article error). Additionally, there are punctuation issues, such as starting a sentence with 'Which' and missing commas in complex sentences. While your meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors limits the score. Focus on subject-verb agreement, correct article usage, and ensuring that every sentence is a complete, grammatically sound unit.

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