Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-04

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 5.5)

In today's world, an increasing number of people with health issues are trying different medicines and treatments rather than simply visiting a doctor. This problem is increasing rapidly these days, as people want to put money first over their own health.

To begin with, as people say, health is wealth. If you are fit and fine, you can live a glorious life. In modern society there are doctors available everytime for people's well being . I believe this is a negative development because people simply want to save their money over health and to support my stand, I largely believe that taking medicines from other people can ruin your health very seriously. Government also supports people by providing the treatement for free to those who cannot afford.

Subsequently people who think it is a positive development argue that in modern world there are many new treatements available in cheaper prices for those who simply cannot afford a good doctor. They believe these alternative treatments can also ammend their health.

However some of the treatements are not even scientifically proven and cannot treat an illness seriously.

In conclusion, health should be the most significant part of human being's life and people should take it very seriously. In modern era there are various treatments available which can definitely support an individual's pocket but not really treat their health. It is an individual's duty to keep health over fiances and visit a regurlar doctor with good education who can provide a good treatement .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear stance that choosing alternative medicine is a negative development primarily driven by financial concerns. However, the ideas are somewhat limited and under-developed. For instance, the argument that people want to put money first over their own health is stated without sufficient elaboration or concrete examples. Similarly, the counterargument acknowledging that alternative treatments are available at cheaper prices is mentioned but lacks depth or specific supporting evidence. To move to a higher level, the writer needs to extend their arguments further, providing more comprehensive explanations and specific real-world examples to fully flesh out both sides of the issue before reinforcing their position.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is some organisation present in the essay, with attempts to introduce paragraphs and use cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Subsequently', and 'In conclusion'. However, the overall progression is limited, and the logical flow between sentences is occasionally hindered by abrupt transitions and repetitive framing. For example, the counter-perspective is introduced with 'Subsequently people who think...', which does not accurately signal a contrasting viewpoint. Additionally, referencing is sometimes unclear, making it occasionally difficult for the reader to follow the exact line of reasoning. To achieve a higher band, the writer should ensure that cohesive devices are used more accurately and that each paragraph builds logically and smoothly upon the previous one with clearer logical relationships.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited but minimally adequate to convey the basic message of the essay. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary, such as 'glorious life', 'significant', and 'alternative', but encounters noticeable errors in word choice, collocation, and word form. For instance, phrases like 'ammend their health' instead of 'improve their health', and spelling errors such as 'treatement', 'fiances', and 'regurlar' detract from the quality of the writing and occasionally cause some difficulty for the reader. To improve in this area, the writer needs to expand their range of vocabulary, practice correct word forms and collocations, and pay closer attention to spelling accuracy when attempting more sophisticated lexical items.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The essay displays a limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on simple sentence forms alongside some attempts at complex sentences. These attempts at complex structures are often faulty, featuring frequent errors in punctuation, articles, and prepositions within grammatical patterns. Examples of errors include missing or incorrect articles ('visit a regurlar doctor'), awkward phrasing ('taking medicines from other people can ruin your health very seriously'), and punctuation slips like spacing errors before commas. These frequent errors can cause some difficulty for the reader. To progress, the writer should work on increasing sentence variety, ensuring greater accuracy in complex clause structures, and mastering basic punctuation and article usage.

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