Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-05

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 5.0)

In the recent years, the problem in health of people is increased and they are taking it very lightly. Similarly, the health problem of people they mostly visit to chemist and take the medicines, instead of checking to the doctors.

On the one hand, some people avoid doctors for their health issues like normal fever, cough, cold, headache, etc. while they think it is normal, and takes medicine from chemist and avoid doctor. Meanwhile, some people suffer from financial problem and cannot manage fees of doctors. And that time they prefer to take medicine instead of visiting doctors. For example; in many countries people who are poor, they can't afford doctor fees. They instead go to medical shop and take alternative medicine for serval health problems.

On the other hand, the people are often to visit doctors and have proper treatment from expects. The older persons always avoid to takes proper treatment from doctors, to save money and ending up taking servals medicines for their diseases. For example, in my country older people always avoid to daily check-up from doctors and relive on alternative medicine for their health problem. And it come up with more intension problem with there health.

In conclusion, in my opinion it's very risky and don't taking care of health. It is very much negative impact on health to avoid proper treatment and relive on different medicines, I belive that people should take perfect treatment from doctor on their health issue and take guidance from expert for health.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses the prompt by discussing the trend of using alternative medicines, but the development of ideas is limited. While you state your position that it is a negative development, the supporting arguments are repetitive and lack depth. For instance, you mention financial constraints and the elderly multiple times without providing distinct, well-supported examples. The ideas are somewhat underdeveloped, and the conclusion simply restates your opinion without summarizing the main points effectively. To improve, focus on providing more specific, logical arguments and ensure each paragraph adds a new dimension to your position rather than repeating the same points.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the flow between ideas is often mechanical and sometimes confusing. You use basic cohesive devices like 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand', but the internal logic within paragraphs is weak. For example, the transition from discussing financial problems to the elderly is abrupt. Additionally, the referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the phrase 'it come up with more intension problem', which makes it difficult to follow your argument. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring that each sentence logically follows the previous one will help improve the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and repetitive, which restricts your ability to express complex ideas. You frequently use basic terms like 'health problem', 'medicines', and 'doctors'. There are also several errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'checking to the doctors', 'relive on' (instead of 'rely on'), and 'intension problem'. These errors occasionally make it difficult for the reader to understand your intended meaning. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use a wider range of vocabulary, including synonyms and more precise academic collocations, and pay closer attention to word forms and spelling.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a high frequency of grammatical errors that frequently impede communication. There are consistent issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'the problem in health of people is increased'), article usage, and sentence structure. Many sentences are fragmented or lack proper grammatical control, such as 'And that time they prefer to take medicine'. While you attempt some complex structures, they are often faulty and contain errors that distract the reader. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, ensuring correct verb tenses, and proofreading for common errors like missing articles or incorrect prepositions.

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

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