Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-11

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)

The new generation are getting inspiration to take alternative medicines rather than going to the doctor for health issues these days.

I think, this is really imposing negative impact on their health as well as on society.

We are now residing in modern technology based world, especially depending on AI tools.We usually seek any kind of help fron AI like: Chatgpt, Gemini, Claude etc.These tools have both positive and negative impact on our regular life.Because these tools dont have power to moderate humans phsycololgy.These tools only can give prediction according to the command and training skill they have taken.

A doctor firstlt hear his patients problem, try to understand his physical and mental condition.Sometimes, patient himself dont know how to express his physical illness to him.A doctor with his experience of treatment, knowledge and patients physical condition after observing him, can understand where the problem is and how serious the health issue is.Sometimes they have to take the patients to operation theatre in case of major healt issues.Whereas, AI tools cant observe patient physically and even sometimes predict wrong treatment.Even it itself suggest patient to consult a doctor.

Last time, my husband was suffering from arthitis.He discussed about tha ache of particular body part with chatgpt.Chatgpt suggested him to take muscle relaxation medicine along with painkiller.He followed blindly its suggestion.But after somedays, he suffered from anxiety and restlessness.We consulted a doctor who told him not to take painkiller as he has fatty liver grade-2 and it is harmful to take painkiller with fatty liver as this medicine increases sgpt.Then my husbans realised always alternative medicines taken from the suggestion of AI tools cannot solve health issues as it works only on particular topic rather than knowing other health complexity.

So, therefore, young generation should be careful of taking alternatives medicine without consulting a doctor

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You clearly state your position that relying on alternative sources like AI for health advice is a negative development. You support this with a relevant personal anecdote about your husband's experience with arthritis and medication interactions. However, the essay focuses heavily on AI tools rather than the broader concept of 'alternative medicines' (such as herbal remedies or homeopathy), which limits the scope of your argument. While your personal example is effective, the discussion could be more balanced by acknowledging why some people might turn to alternatives before refuting it. The conclusion is a bit abrupt and could be more fully developed to summarize your main points.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the logical flow between sentences is sometimes hindered by repetitive phrasing and a lack of varied cohesive devices. For example, you frequently start sentences with 'These tools' or 'A doctor'. While the progression of ideas is generally clear, the use of linking words is somewhat mechanical (e.g., 'So, therefore'). Paragraphing is present, but the transition between the general discussion of AI and your personal anecdote could be smoother to create a more cohesive narrative. Referencing is generally clear, but the overall structure feels a bit disjointed in places.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your meaning, including terms like 'restlessness', 'complexity', and 'consult'. However, there are several spelling errors ('phsycololgy', 'firstlt', 'healt', 'husbans') and some awkward collocations ('imposing negative impact' instead of 'having a negative impact'). You rely on some basic vocabulary, and while you attempt to use more specific terms, the inaccuracies in spelling and word choice occasionally distract the reader. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise academic collocations and ensure consistent accuracy in spelling.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Issues include missing articles ('in operation theatre'), subject-verb agreement ('patient himself dont know'), and punctuation errors (missing spaces after periods). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable. You demonstrate an attempt at complex sentences, but they often contain minor errors in construction. Focusing on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and article usage would significantly improve the clarity and professional tone of your writing.

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