Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
Nowadays, every people thinks that they are smart & intelligent. Due to this thinking sometimes they takes those steps that can do some serious problems in their daily life. Currently, a growing number of individuals with health difficulties are trying alternative medicines & treatments instead of visiting their usual doctor. I partially agree with this situation because insearch of alternative medicines sometimes individuals finds it with zero side effects and can cure themselves too easily. When individuals suffers from health problem & they doesn't visit their usual doctor at that times in some cases individuals have learned that how to cure themselves without visiting doctor. This is very good for them because if individuals can solve their small health problems like common cold, fever, headache & so on at home by themselves then they can save their money and time.
But this have some negative impacts also because individuals can't take risk to their health. If individuals think that they will cure them by themselves to save money instead of visiting doctors then they can face some serious health problems
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 fails to meet the minimum length requirement of 250 words, containing only 180 words, which severely restricts task completion and leads to a penalty under Task Achievement. While the writer attempts to address the prompt by expressing a partial opinion regarding alternative medicines, the ideas are underdeveloped and lack adequate support. Phrases such as 'save their money and time' and 'face some serious health problems' are generalized without specific examples or thorough exploration. The position is stated but not fully sustained throughout the brief text, resulting in a performance that aligns with Band 5 descriptors.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response shows some basic organization with a clear stance introduced early on, and cohesive devices like 'Nowadays', 'Due to this thinking', and 'But' are utilized. However, the overall progression is disrupted by underdeveloped paragraphs and the abrupt ending of the text mid-argument. Paragraphing is faulty, as the second paragraph abruptly shifts topics without clear separation or logical elaboration. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as 'this have some negative impacts', which weakens internal cohesion. These limitations correspond closely to the Band 5 descriptors for Coherence and Cohesion.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The lexical range is limited and minimally adequate for the task. The student employs basic vocabulary such as 'smart & intelligent', 'health problems', and 'save their money and time'. There are noticeable lexical errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'insearch of alternative medicines sometimes individuals finds it' (subject-verb agreement and word formation issues). While the vocabulary allows the writer to convey a simple message, the lack of flexibility and precision keeps the score at Band 5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but frequent grammatical errors impede fluency and clarity. Examples include 'every people thinks', 'sometimes they takes those steps', 'When individuals suffers', and 'they doesn't visit their usual doctor at that times'. These frequent errors in subject-verb agreement, pluralisation, and tense consistency cause noticeable difficulty for the reader. The structural range is limited, and the control over complex grammar is weak, placing the response firmly in Band 5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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