Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

Nowadays, many people with health problems are consuming alternative medicines and treatments instead of visiting their regular doctor. In my opinion, this is a negative development because without consulting the doctor, people should not try any alternatives and treatments as it will lead to more serious health issues and side effects.

On the one hand, there are negative effects if people with health challenges have started trying different medicines and treatments wihtout visiting their regular doctor. For example, for the heart patient who is already suffering from diabetes and cholestrol, tries a substitute medicine then it will cause many side effects. As a result, instead of curing the heart patient it may lead to the risk of heart failure which sometimes leads to death.

On the other hand, with proper care and not experimenting any substitute treatment or medicine without the guidance of their doctor will help the people to cure the problems or diseases faster and easier. For instance, if a person is suffering from fracture then he should not try any alternatives to solve his problem quicker, instead with proper support of doctor and right treatment, his fracture will be cured nicely and he will feel more better as well.

In conclusion, the positive development of growing people with health problems can be done by not trying any alternatives or subsitutes for medices and treatments, and they always seek permission from their regular doctore before consumption. These ways their life expectancy will increase and they can live a better life.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

Your position is clear: you consider replacing a regular doctor with alternative treatments negative, and you give relevant examples involving a heart patient and a fracture. However, the ideas are only partly developed. The heart example asserts that a substitute medicine could cause heart failure, but does not explain how or distinguish unsafe self-treatment from alternatives used with medical advice. The fracture example mainly supports following a doctor’s treatment rather than directly explaining the risks of alternative medicine. The conclusion also calls the development “positive,” which conflicts with your stated view. The response is 244 words, six words below the 250-word minimum; the eight words copied from the prompt were not counted. Develop the examples and keep your position consistent.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, two body paragraphs signposted by “On the one hand” and “On the other hand,” and a conclusion. This gives the reader a basic route through your argument, and examples are placed in the relevant paragraphs. However, the progression is not always clear: the second body paragraph shifts from the dangers of alternatives to the benefits of doctor-guided care without explicitly connecting the contrast. Some linking is mechanical, and the conclusion’s description of the development as “positive” disrupts the overall line of argument. Use transitions that show the relationship between claims, and make each paragraph develop one clear point. Ensure the conclusion restates the same position as the introduction.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “alternative medicines,” “side effects,” “heart failure,” “fracture,” and “life expectancy,” so the main subject is understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or awkward, which makes parts of the response less clear. For example, “consuming” is not a natural choice for treatments, “substitute medicine” is imprecise, and “cured nicely” and “feel more better” are not idiomatic. There are also spelling errors such as “wihtout,” “cholestrol,” “subsitutes,” “medices,” and “doctore.” Build a more precise range for discussing medical advice and treatment, and proofread spelling and word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including conditional structures such as “if people… have started trying…” and clauses introduced by “because” and “instead of.” The overall meaning is usually recoverable, but control is uneven, particularly in longer sentences. For example, “For example, for the heart patient… tries a substitute medicine” lacks a clear grammatical subject and has faulty verb structure; “if a person is suffering from fracture” is missing an article, and “These ways their life expectancy will increase” has an incomplete sentence structure. The conclusion also contains a confusing construction around seeking permission before consumption. Practise building complete clauses with clear subjects and verbs, and check articles, agreement, and sentence boundaries. More accurate complex sentences would make your reasoning easier to follow.

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