Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-13
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 today's contemporary world, an increasing number of individuals with health challenges are considering something opposite from drugs and treatments rather than calling their typical doctor. I partially considering that this development is negative because lack of expert doctors and also this is positive development hence most medical expert can treat you upon your distress.
On the one hand, there are numerous number of doctors in the world but unfortunately they have not excellent knowledge and experience in their field. To more elaborate it, many people with health problem often trying something homemade as a drug for their treatment due to the lack of experience doctors and they also prioritize money because some doctors charge an excessive amount of funds for treatment and suggestion. For instance, there are many Pakistani patients who do not visit doctors for their health related issue, but alternatively they make some homemade drug for their disease.
On the other hand, visiting medical experts has beneficial for all individuals who have an incredible distress upon which only expert doctors understand. Therefore, some disease are not controlling or fully eliminating through personal things, but it require some special doctors. To cite an example, a patient who has brain tumor can only identify and treat by medical expert rather than our interpersonal skills and experience. As a result, it require to visit their usual doctor on monthly basis to regularly check up their brain and other neural related issues such as spinal card, to be identify and treat on time.
In conclusion, most of people are worrying about high feeses which charge by doctors and their lack of expertise in their fields, therefore they trying alternatives medicines and treatment. In stark contrast, visiting medical expert for unique destress that can not identified and treat through personal experience.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response attempts to address both sides of the prompt by discussing why people turn to alternative medicine and the potential dangers of avoiding professional doctors. However, the position is somewhat confused in the introduction, where the student writes 'I partially considering that this development is negative because lack of expert doctors and also this is positive development'. The arguments are occasionally repetitive and rely on broad generalisations rather than fully extended support, such as the brief mention of Pakistani patients making homemade drugs. While all parts of the task are touched upon, the lack of clear, fully developed ideas places this response at Band 5.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay is divided into four paragraphs, including an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion, showing basic structural awareness. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' are used to signpost the response. However, referencing and progression are frequently faulty or mechanical. For instance, the transition between sentences often feels abrupt, and expressions like 'To more elaborate it' and 'As a result, it require to visit' disrupt the logical flow. Paragraphing is attempted, but overall cohesion is inadequate and repetitive, aligning with a Band 5.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is limited and basic, with frequent word-choice errors and awkward collocations that occasionally impede communication. Examples include 'considering something opposite from drugs', 'excessive amount of funds', 'health related issue', and 'unique destress'. The student also struggles with word forms, such as using 'destress' instead of 'distress' or 'stress', and 'feeses' instead of 'fees'. While the vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey the general topic of health and medicine, the persistent errors and lack of sophisticated phrasing restrict the score to Band 4.5, rounded to 5.0 based on standard descriptors.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay displays a very limited range of grammatical structures, and attempts at complex sentences are frequently faulty. There are persistent errors in subject-verb agreement and tense consistency, such as 'many people with health problem often trying', 'some disease are not controlling', and 'it require to visit'. Punctuation and article usage are also unreliable throughout the text. These frequent errors cause significant difficulty for the reader and prevent the grammar from reaching a Band 6.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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