Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-04
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 6.0)
In recent years, an increasing number of people have chosen the alternative drugs and therapies instead of visiting their regular doctor. Although this approach have some benefits like it is cheap and natural remedy, I believe that ignoring advice of qualified doctor and adopting these alternative measure is a negative development.
On the one hand there are several reasons of choosing alternative medications. Firstly, these treatments are relatively less expensive than the recommended medicines of professional doctor. For example, if someone suffering from headache, stress or indigestion issues, he or she will take herbal tea as a treatment because it is affordable. Secondly, Most of the medicines are made from natural ingredients so that they may have less side effects compared with conventional medicines. Furthermore these traditional therapies are easily available at home without visiting specialists.
On the other hand alternative medicines and treatments may have some advantages, however they can not be used in every situation. For instance, if a person have cancer or heart disease and he is relying on herbal or other remedies instead of suggestions of cardiologist or experienced doctor, may cause worse the disease by reducing the chances of recovery. Furthermore alternative medical remedies are not supported with scientific evidences. This is because it is difficult for identifying the underlying causes of health problems. In contrast, professional doctors have medical history of a patient and they provide prescribed remedies according to it.
In my opinion, alternative drugs and therapies can be reliable in minor illnesses while in major diseases they increase the risks of severe effects. Therefore these can not be replaced with regular doctor advice. In conclusion, relying on other options rather than taking advice from specialists is a negative development.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response addresses all parts of the prompt, clearly stating a position that the trend is a negative development. The ideas are relevant, with arguments regarding cost and natural ingredients for the positive side, and risks of misdiagnosis and lack of scientific evidence for the negative side. However, the development is somewhat uneven; the second paragraph is well-supported, but the third paragraph could benefit from more specific examples beyond just mentioning cancer. The position is consistent throughout, and the conclusion effectively summarizes the main argument, meeting the requirements for a Band 6.5 or 7.0 performance.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two sides of the argument. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'Firstly', 'Furthermore', and 'In contrast' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing (e.g., 'these alternative measure' should be plural). The progression of ideas is generally clear, though the flow between sentences could be smoother in the second paragraph.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'conventional medicines', 'underlying causes', and 'cardiologist'. However, there are occasional inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'worse the disease' (should be 'worsen') and 'scientific evidences' (evidence is an uncountable noun). While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the essay from reaching a higher band score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'this approach have', 'if a person have', 'it is difficult for identifying') and article usage. While the meaning remains clear, these frequent errors in basic grammar structures are noticeable. To improve, the student should focus on ensuring subject-verb agreement and refining the use of prepositions and gerunds after adjectives or verbs.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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