Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-22

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 6.5)

Some people believe that the use of alternative remedies can substitute a visit with a general practitioner. This essay will firmly explain why, from my point of view, this controversial thinking represents an issue to society's wellness.

In the first place, the majority of medical complications need to be look after by a health specialist. This is attributable to the fact that doctors are the only reliable experts in medicine, because they spent a great part of their life studying this subject. Therefore, general practiotioners are able to treat and cure difficult health conditions, as they dedicated a lot of their time to analyse them. In addition, doctors always have to be up-to-date on medical researches and new discoveries on the matter. The consequence of this is that the best treatment that a sick person could get is a visit to the doctor, since they represent the only figures who are updated and trustworthy about the medical field.

Moreover, experimenting different and unusual cures is an unsafe and dangerous curing method for people with health problems. This is because these cures have never been tested or experimented, whereas all the medicines on the market passed many laboratory tests on humans and animals. Due to this, trying alternative remedies could lead to the opposite result, which is the worsening of specific illnesses. More specifically, a compelling body of research suggests that people with life-threatening conditions who only utilise non-tested treatments, might die because of them.

In conclusion, even though some people prefer alternative and unsafe methods to treat certain health problems, as far as I am concerned, the only reliable treatment is being followed by a health specialist.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response fully addresses all parts of the task by taking a clear, well-developed position on whether turning to alternative medicines is a positive or negative development. The writer argues firmly that it is a negative trend, supporting this viewpoint with logical main ideas in each body paragraph, such as the necessity of professional medical expertise and the inherent dangers of untested treatments. The ideas are extended and supported with relevant explanations and general examples, such as the reference to laboratory testing and research on life-threatening conditions. The position remains consistent and clear from the introduction through to the conclusion, satisfying the Band 7 and approaching Band 8 descriptors for Task Achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay displays a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct central topic, moving smoothly from the introduction of the thesis, through two well-supported body paragraphs addressing different facets of the argument, to a succinct concluding summary. Cohesive devices such as 'In the first place', 'This is attributable to the fact that', 'Moreover', and 'In conclusion' are used appropriately to guide the reader through the arguments, although some referencing could be slightly more concise. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, ensuring the overall structure remains coherent and easy to follow, aligning comfortably with a Band 7 level.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The writer demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary with some flexibility and precision, such as 'controversial thinking', 'medical complications', 'up-to-date', and 'life-threatening conditions'. There are, however, occasional lexical inaccuracies and spelling errors, such as 'practiotioners' instead of 'practitioners' and the awkward phrase 'experimenting different and unusual cures' where 'trying' or 'testing' would be more natural collocations. Despite these minor lapses, the vocabulary used is adequate to convey the intended meaning clearly and effectively, fitting the Band 6 descriptor well.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay exhibits a good mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over structures such as relative clauses ('doctors are the only reliable experts in medicine, because they spent...') and concessive clauses ('even though some people prefer alternative and unsafe methods...'). There are some grammatical errors and awkward phrasing present, notably 'need to be look after' (should be 'looked after'), 'experimented' used intransitively, and minor punctuation slips. However, these errors do not impede communication, and the writer maintains a solid grasp of basic sentence mechanics, warranting a Band 6.0.

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