Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-02

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)

At this time diseases are so common. In a family of five some of their members has some type of health issue. There are thousands of people who do not take proper treatment for their problem and they do not feel well. This is negative development because firstly, our government makes hospitals and clinics for poor people and secondly, our living conditions have become worse. They kept trying new treatments.

In India poverty ratio is so higher than the employment ratio, if a poor person is sick and wants to take appropriate treatment then they can't afford. For that

Indian government made hospitals for all civilians so that they can take treatment for their problem and cure their disease. For example, a person who is not financially stable they could not visit to hospital,for them government helps them and give support.

If we take wrong medication and not follow advice of the doctor then it becomes so problematic to cure. There are so many people who are not taking proper medicine and not taken a treatment. They avoid visiting hospitals and continue taking pills which are available in their house. As time passes and their conditions become more and more critical to handle. To save money they do not visit the doctor.

In conclusion, this practice is totally wrong to not visit a doctor and try for alternative medicines instead of taking a proper medicine and curing diseases from a professional . This turns into very dangerous in the future.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses the task only partially. While the student expresses a clear position that relying on alternative home treatments instead of seeing a doctor is a negative development, the ideas are limited and under-developed. For instance, the discussion frequently drifts into issues related to poverty and government-funded hospitals in India, such as 'Indian government made hospitals for all civilians so that they can take treatment for their problem', rather than focusing consistently on the core theme of alternative versus professional medical care. The arguments presented lack sufficient support and extension, leaving some parts of the prompt superficially explored.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The writing demonstrates some organisation, but there is no clear overall progression of ideas throughout the response. Paragraphing is attempted, but transitions between sentences and paragraphs often feel abrupt and disconnected. For example, moving from the introduction directly into a specific discussion about the poverty ratio in India lacks a smooth logical bridge. Cohesive devices are sometimes inadequate or repetitive, with frequent reliance on basic linkers like 'and', 'for example', and 'if', which fails to create a seamless flow of ideas for the reader.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited but minimally adequate to convey a basic message. The student uses mostly common words and phrases, such as 'health issue', 'proper treatment', and 'save money'. There are noticeable lexical errors and awkward collocations that cause some difficulty for the reader, including phrases like 'poverty ratio is so higher than the employment ratio' and 'take wrong medication and not follow advice'. Spelling is generally acceptable, but word choices lack the precision and variety needed to discuss this complex health topic effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The text displays a limited range of structures, relying predominantly on simple sentences alongside a few basic complex forms. Attempts at complex sentences are frequently faulty, leading to frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that can cause difficulty for the reader. Examples of grammatical inaccuracies include subject-verb agreement issues like 'some of their members has some type of health issue', missing articles as in 'visit to hospital', and incorrect verb forms such as 'not taken a treatment'. Punctuation is also inconsistently handled, impacting the overall readability of the sentences.

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