Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-16

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)

Increase in the portion of people cause many health problem.In addition, to tackle the issue with health, they prefer trying alternative methods instead of visting a doctor.If you use any method for the treatment, you may not know is it best for it or make it worse.

Some may get better by treatment like flu,temperature,cough etc , you don't need to visit a health specialist.You can easily get the information from internet.You may have the prescripation for that particular problem, go to market and buy the right medicine, you may ask from the pharmacist.Last week, i got the flu and i just visited the pharmacy, they give me prescribed medicine which will help to get recover from it.Trying alternative methods may help you , you can get some soltuion for that problem but the success ratio is pretty low.

Trying differnet medicine make it bad instead of making any progress.I am visting a place,mountain region and i was on a bike.During riding on high alititude, I fell from bike and got some scratch plus my elbow got some injuries.Futhermore, my leg also get scratched from knee to upper leg.I apply differnet medicine and my injuries got worse instead of beneficial for it.Afterward, i visited doctor and it prescribed me the correct medicine , after appyling i feel relaxed and painless.

You alway consult with an expert who had the knowledge, alway take advice from them before start treatment.In some case it maybe be beneficial but in most cases you should consult with revelant person.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You give a generally clear view that relying on alternative treatment can be harmful, while acknowledging that some minor illnesses may be managed without a doctor. The examples of flu and your injury support this position, especially the contrast between worsening symptoms and later receiving appropriate care. However, the response only partly develops the task: it does not clearly explain what counts as alternative medicine, and the flu example shifts toward buying prescribed medicine from a pharmacy rather than trying an alternative treatment. Develop the reasons more fully—for example, explain risks such as delayed diagnosis or unsafe remedies—and make the distinction between self-medication and alternative treatment clear.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic paragraph structure, moving from an introduction to examples and then a concluding recommendation. The injury story also has a recognisable sequence, from the accident to trying treatments and then consulting a doctor. However, the overall progression is not consistently clear: the first body paragraph combines general claims, internet advice, pharmacy medicine and alternative methods, so the central point becomes difficult to follow. Linking phrases such as “In addition,” “Furthermore,” and “Afterward” are used, but connections between ideas are sometimes mechanical or unclear. Give each paragraph one main purpose, use clearer topic sentences, and connect each example explicitly to your position.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “alternative methods,” “health specialist,” “pharmacist,” and “prescribed medicine,” which helps communicate the subject. However, the range is limited and several word choices or spellings make meaning less precise, such as “success ratio,” “get recover,” and “beneficial for it.” There are also repeated general terms such as “problem,” “medicine,” and “treatment,” and errors including “prescripation,” “differnet,” and “alititude.” Aim for more accurate collocations and vary key terms: for instance, distinguish “alternative remedies” from “over-the-counter medication,” and use phrases such as “symptoms worsened” or “seek medical advice.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentence forms, and the reader can usually understand the main events in your examples. However, control is inconsistent, particularly in longer sentences, and errors sometimes make relationships between ideas unclear. Examples include “you may not know is it best for it,” “they give me prescribed medicine,” and “i apply differnet medicine and my injuries got worse.” These show problems with question structure, tense consistency, and sentence construction. There are also recurring issues with articles, agreement, and punctuation, as in “it prescribed me” and the run-together opening sentences. Practise forming accurate clauses and maintaining past tense when recounting experiences, then check sentence boundaries and capitalisation.

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