Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

In today's world, a growing number of people are turning to alternative medicines instead of consulting their usual doctor. I completely disagree with this view. One of the main reasons herbal medicine does not cure all kind of disease, it is harmful and not significantly tested and delays in proper treament and wastage of time.

To begin with, herbal medicines are not suitable for all kinds of illnesses. The prime reason for this is that, alternative medicine is not cure all kind of diseases like cancer, lungs problems and diabetes it only give a temporary relief. For instance if a person having a severe cough then we use home remedies like herbal tea which temporarily stop the cough but it cannot treat serious health problems.Thus, it is not for every problem.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You take a clear position by saying, “I completely disagree,” and give a relevant concern: alternative remedies may not treat serious illnesses. The example of herbal tea easing a cough also supports this point. However, the response addresses the task only minimally: it does not explain the claimed harms or delays in proper treatment, and it offers no developed comparison with visiting a doctor. The conclusion and fuller discussion of whether this is positive or negative are also missing. The response is 119 words below the required minimum, which leaves too little space to develop and support your reasons. To improve, explain two distinct consequences, give a specific example for each, and connect them clearly to your overall judgement.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is a basic sense of organisation: you introduce your position, then use “To begin with” to start a supporting point, followed by an example and “Thus” to signal a result. This helps the reader follow the main line of thought. However, the response ends after this single point, so there is no clear overall progression through multiple reasons or a concluding paragraph. Some links are also awkward or unclear, particularly the long opening explanation after “One of the main reasons,” where several claims are joined together. Develop separate paragraphs for each reason and use linking phrases to show how each example supports your position, rather than relying on a few repeated signposts.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “alternative medicines,” “herbal medicine,” “temporary relief,” and “serious health problems.” These choices make the subject clear. However, the range is limited and several phrases are inaccurate or repetitive, such as “not cure all kind of diseases” and “lungs problems.” The spelling error “treament” also affects the accuracy of the vocabulary. Aim for more precise expressions and vary repeated wording: for example, distinguish between “relieve symptoms” and “treat the underlying condition.” Proofread spelling and choose natural collocations so that your meaning is easier to understand and your argument sounds more precise.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple sentences and longer structures, including a conditional example beginning “if a person having a severe cough.” However, the longer sentences are often faulty, and the range of sentence patterns remains limited. For instance, “One of the main reasons herbal medicine does not cure all kind of disease, it is harmful…” is not a complete, well-formed sentence, while “it only give” has incorrect subject–verb agreement. Articles, plurals, and sentence boundaries also need attention, as in “a temporary relief” and the run-together “problems.Thus.” Practise building accurate sentences with one main idea at a time, then add subordinate clauses once the basic structure is secure. Check agreement, articles, and punctuation during revision.

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