Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-07

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)

These days a significant number of individuals with health issue are relying on alternative treatments instead of getting a proper consultation from their physicians. In my opinion this is largely a negative trend because without consulting a doctor a lot of diseases can go undiagnosed also, taking medicines without a doctor's prescription can have detrimental effects on one's health.

Some people do not take their symptoms seriously and keep delaying their doctor's vists with folk remedies and self medications. This results in diseases going undiagnosed for years until they become an emergency and a hospital visit becomes crucial. For example, a lot of people with symptoms of urinary track infection keep taking pain killers for their pelvic pain without knowing the real cause of their pain. The infection progresses into acute kidney injury. They usually get diagnosed when its too late to be treated.

Another reason for my strong opposition is that people abuse medicines- antibiotics being the most commonly abused. A number of people start taking antibiotics without knowing their proper prescription, doses and side effect. One example being the rapidly rising problem of the development of antibiotic resistance worldwide, specially in the third-world countries, due to its excessive use. Another example being the overuse of pain killers that lead to kidney failure.

In conclusion, taking self-prescribed medicines or using home remedies should be avoided. A timely visit to the doctor might save a lot of people from the worsening of their health condition and from the harmful effects of unwarranted treatments.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

Your position is clear from the introduction: you regard the trend as negative, and the conclusion reinforces this view. You address the question with two relevant reasons—delayed diagnosis and the risks of using medicines without medical guidance—and support them with examples involving urinary infections, antibiotic resistance and painkillers. This gives the response a strong, focused argument. To make the development more complete, explain more precisely how alternative treatments can delay professional care, since some examples focus on self-medication rather than alternative treatments themselves. The claims about infections becoming kidney injury and resistance being especially common in particular regions are also broad; qualify them or explain the link more carefully. Overall, the response addresses the task and supports its position, while some points could be developed with greater precision.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay has a clear four-paragraph structure, with an introduction, two body paragraphs presenting separate reasons, and a conclusion. The progression from delayed diagnosis to medicine misuse is logical, and phrases such as “For example,” “Another reason,” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the argument. The main opportunity is to make connections between claims and examples more explicit. For instance, the urinary-infection example moves quickly from painkillers to acute kidney injury, and the relationship between alternative remedies and delayed diagnosis could be signposted more clearly. Some linking phrases, including “Another example being,” create a slightly list-like effect. Use a wider range of transitions that show cause and consequence, and ensure each example is clearly tied back to the paragraph’s main point.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a suitable range of topic vocabulary, including “undiagnosed,” “detrimental effects,” “antibiotic resistance,” and “worsening of their health condition.” These choices communicate the argument clearly and show attempts to use precise, less common language. However, several word-choice, collocation and spelling slips reduce naturalness: “health issue” should be plural in this context, “urinary track infection” is an inaccurate term, and “specially” is not the right form for the intended meaning. Phrases such as “proper prescription” and “abuse medicines” could also be expressed more idiomatically. Aim to check spelling and collocations, especially in medical vocabulary, and choose precise terms consistently. This would make the vocabulary more flexible and controlled while preserving the clear meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex structures, including a reason clause in “because without consulting a doctor…” and a relative clause in “medicines that lead to kidney failure.” Most ideas remain understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. For example, “a significant number of individuals with health issue” needs a plural noun, and “A number of people start taking antibiotics without knowing their proper prescription, doses and side effect” has agreement and plural-form problems. The sentence beginning “One example being…” is a fragment rather than a complete sentence. Punctuation also needs attention, particularly the comma splice in “go undiagnosed also, taking medicines…”. Practise checking agreement, articles and sentence completeness, and use full stops or conjunctions to join independent clauses.

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