Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-30

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 6.0)

In recent times, an increasing number of individuals with health problems are choosing alternative medicines and treatment instead of visiting their regular doctors. Although some alternative treatments can provide benefits, I believe that it is a negative development because they may delay proper medical treatment and can sometimes be unsafe.

On the other hand, one of the major downsides is that home remedies or alternative medicines prevent people from receiving appropriate treatment at right time. Many serious illnesses require accurate diagnosis and tested medication for the cureness. If patients rely solely on alternative treatments, they might ignore symptoms that can create serious threat for them in the future. For instance, a person suffering from serious infection might choose herbal remedies which can worsen the situation.

Furthermore, another concern is that not all alternatives are scientifically tested and may lack safety and effectiveness. In addition, people may spend considerable amount of money on treatments that have little proven medical value. For example, some products can have detrimental effect on your health because they are not prescribed by the doctors. These home remedies and products can sometimes cause unwanted side effects.

However, there are some medical procedures, like therapies, that can be useful if they are used alongside with conventional medical care. Nevertheless, they shouldn't be considered complete replacement for professional medical advisor.

In conclusion, although alternative treatment can have some benefits, I believe that replacing regular medical care is generally negative development because this delays proper treatment and may have bad side effects.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response clearly addresses all parts of the task by taking a distinct position that relying on alternative medicines is a negative development. The student supports this stance with relevant arguments, such as the risk of delaying proper medical treatment and the potential lack of safety and scientific testing associated with home remedies. Ideas are extended and supported with examples, such as a person suffering from a serious infection choosing herbal remedies. However, some arguments tend to over-generalise slightly, and the development could be pushed further for a higher band. Overall, the requirements of Task Response are well met, aligning solidly with Band 7 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay displays a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct central topic, starting with an introduction, moving into body paragraphs covering specific drawbacks and a concession, and finishing with a clear conclusion. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, such as 'On the other hand,' 'Furthermore,' and 'In addition,' although some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate ideas. Referencing is generally clear, though occasional minor cohesion lapses occur. The overall arrangement is coherent, matching the Band 7 criteria.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items such as 'conventional medical care,' 'scientifically tested,' and 'detrimental effect.' However, there are noticeable lexical errors and awkward collocations, such as 'cureness' instead of 'cure' or 'healing,' and missing articles like 'at right time' instead of 'at the right time.' Vocabulary control fluctuates, placing the response securely in the Band 6 category, as the errors do not impede communication but prevent access to higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing structures like conditional clauses ('If patients rely solely...') and concessive clauses ('Although some alternative treatments...'). There are several grammatical errors present, such as missing articles ('at right time', 'by the doctors') and minor preposition/collocation slips ('alongside with conventional medical care'). Despite these errors, they rarely impede communication, and the writer maintains a good level of control over basic structures and punctuation, justifying a Band 6 score.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.