Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-01

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 7.0)

In the modern world, a growing number of people with health problems are turning to alternative medicines and treatments instead of consulting qualified doctors. Although some alternative remedies may provide relief from minor illness, I believe that this is largely a negative development because it can delay appropriate medical treatment and pose serious health risk.

One reason why people choose natural remedies is its affordability. Such treatments are often less expensive than conventional medical care, making them particularly attractive to the people who cannot afford hospital visits oprescription medicines. In addition, some individual believe that conventional medicines can have harmful side effects, whereas herbal and natural remedies are percieved as safer. Furthermore, traditional medicines has been used for generation for many cultures, so people may place greater trust in remedies recommended by family or local healers. For example, a person suffering from a minor digestive problem may choose a traditional herbal remedy because it is inexpensive and easily available.

However, relying on herbal treatments instead of professional healthcare may lead serious consequences. The most significant problem is that delaying proper medication may allow serious illness to become more severe. Condition such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease require accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatments from highly skilled healthcare professionals. However, some non-conventional medicines lack sufficient scientific evidence regarding their safety and effectiveness. Certain herbal remedies can interact with prescription drugs and potentially cause harmful reactions. For instance, if a diabetic patient relies solely on herbal remedies instead of taking prescribed medication, their condition could detriorate and require more complicated treaments later. Therefore, I believe that replacing conventional medical care with alternative treatments is predominantly negative.

To summarise, people may choose alternative medicines because it is affordable, natural and deeply rooted in traditional practices. Neverthless, relying on these treatments instead of consulting qualified healthcare professionals can delay diagnosis and create significant health risk. Therefore, I think this is counterproductive approach, although alternative medicines may be used alongside conventional treatment when medically appropriate.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The response addresses all parts of the task clearly, presenting a well-developed position throughout. The writer takes a clear stance that turning to alternative medicine is a negative development due to delayed treatments and health risks. Main ideas are extended and supported with relevant explanations and examples, such as the mention of conditions like cancer and diabetes. However, there is a slight tendency to over-generalise in parts, such as grouping all traditional practices together without acknowledging nuances. To reach a higher level, the ideas could be developed with even greater depth and specificity, ensuring that every supporting point is thoroughly explored without leaning on broad generalisations.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay demonstrates a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Information and ideas are presented coherently, and each paragraph has a distinct central topic, such as the reasons for choosing alternative remedies in the second paragraph and the risks in the third. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, with transitional phrases like 'However', 'In addition', and 'To summarise' guiding the reader through the argument. To move towards a higher band, the essay would benefit from even more flexible and varied referencing and substitution to avoid any mechanical feel, ensuring that transitions flow seamlessly from one sentence to the next without over-relying on standard conjunctive adverbs.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task and attempts some less common lexical items, such as 'conventional medical care', 'scientific evidence', and 'detriorate'. However, there are noticeable lexical errors, particularly in word form, singular/plural agreement, and spelling, such as 'oprescription' (prescription), 'individual' (individuals), 'percieved' (perceived), 'medicines has' (medicine has), and 'detriorate' (deteriorate). These errors occasionally reveal a lack of precision, though they do not impede overall communication. To achieve a higher band, the writer needs to exercise greater control over less common vocabulary, ensure accurate spelling and word formation, and demonstrate a more refined command of collocation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response shows a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating a reasonable command of grammar. The writer successfully employs complex structures, such as concessive clauses ('Although some alternative remedies may provide relief...') and conditional phrasing ('if a diabetic patient relies solely...'). There are some grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('some individual believe', 'traditional medicines has') and missing articles or pluralisation errors (e.g., 'pose serious health risk'). However, these errors are relatively infrequent and rarely impede communication, reflecting a solid foundation with a mix of error-free sentences and minor slips. To reach the next level, the writer should increase the frequency of error-free complex sentences and eliminate recurring minor agreement and article mistakes.

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