Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-15

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)

This days there is rising number of individuals with health issues who are trying alternative medicines and treatments instead of seeking for consultation by a medical doctor. this is due to lack of education and financial instability. and this can result to a negative development.

firstly, financial instability as a major cause , some people cannot afford the cost of hospital bills so they think that the best alternative is to go for the traditional herbal medicines. unfortunately, most times this may not be the reliable methods. for example an individual suffering from hyenia needs surgical procedures and not local herbs but due to the high hospital bills individuals who are financially instable they cannot affordable them so the

best option for them is to take the preventive herbal medicine. in addiction, traditional medicince can leads to other health problems like kidney problems in some cases. for instance , taking in agbor and untested local drugs can be daming some organs in your body and this is a negative effect because it may be treating the wrong disease.

secondly, lack of education as another contributing factor, this is due to the high level of illeteracy in the society individuals are not aware of the importance of primary health care so they are using the mindset of ordorthox traditional health care. but in many cases the ordorthox may not be the solution to the problem rather the medical doctors who have under gone necessary knowledge. for example in the past it worked but recently the modern world have improved the standard to health problems.

In conclusion, i think that when individuals becomes educational literate , and awareofbenefitofmedicaldoctors and also if the government can helpto assist individuals who cannot afford medical bills there will be more improved standard of health living.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You give a clear overall view that this is a negative development, and both reasons—financial hardship and limited education—are relevant to the question. The examples of someone needing surgery and the possible harm from untested remedies help illustrate your concerns. However, the discussion is only partly developed: the surgery example is difficult to follow, and the point about education shifts between traditional and modern care without clearly explaining how lack of knowledge leads people to avoid doctors. The conclusion recommends government assistance and education, but these proposals are not fully connected to the argument. To strengthen the response, explain each cause-and-effect link more precisely and develop one example in detail.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, two body paragraphs introduced by “firstly” and “secondly,” and a conclusion. This helps the reader identify the main points. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes unclear, and linking expressions are occasionally mechanical or inaccurate. For example, “in addiction” appears to introduce an additional point, while the relationship between the discussion of traditional remedies and “the ordorthox” is hard to follow. Some sentences also run together, making it difficult to see where one idea ends and the next begins. Use clearer topic sentences, organise each paragraph around one main claim, and connect examples explicitly to that claim. Careful sentence separation and clearer referencing would make the argument easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some vocabulary relevant to the topic, including “financial instability,” “surgical procedures,” “primary health care,” and “kidney problems.” These terms show an attempt to discuss causes and consequences rather than relying only on very basic language. However, the range is limited and several word choices or spellings make meaning unclear, such as “hynenia,” “preventive herbal medicine,” and “ordorthox.” Phrases such as “traditional medicince can leads” also show difficulty selecting the correct word form and collocation. Aim for accurate, natural expressions and check spelling carefully; for example, distinguish “alternative treatment” from “preventive medicine,” and use “orthodox medicine” when referring to conventional medical care. More precise vocabulary would help communicate your ideas reliably.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, including cause-and-effect structures such as “because…,” and you use sequencing phrases to organise the response. However, sentence structures are often faulty, and errors in agreement, verb forms, articles, and punctuation frequently make the meaning harder to follow. Examples include “This days there is rising number,” “traditional medicince can leads,” and “when individuals becomes.” Capitalisation is also inconsistent, with sentences beginning “this” and “and” in lowercase. Practise building accurate basic sentences first, then add subordinate clauses. Check subject–verb agreement, verb forms, and sentence boundaries during editing; for instance, separate the opening ideas into complete sentences and ensure each subject has a matching verb.

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