Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

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

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 who have health problems are using alternative medicines like herbal treatment and homeopathy instead of going to a normal doctor. I believe this is a negative development.

The main reason why this is a negative is that alternative medicines are not scientifically proven. Most of these treatments do not have proper treatment do not have proper testing and reaserch, so so we cannot trust them fully because they can have side effects. For example, countries like, India, China,Japan, many people take ayurveda herbs for diabetes from local shops without asking a doctor. As a result, their sugar level becomes more high.

Another negative point is that people waste important time. When a person have serious illness, he needs quick treatment from a qualified doctor. If he tries alternative methods, his diseases can grow faster.For example, if someone has cancer and he only drink herbal tea and yoga, he will not get proper chemotherapy.

In conclusion, although alternative medicines are sometimes cheaper, I believe it is a negative development because it is risky and it delays proper treatment. People should always consult their usual doctor first before trying any alternative treatment.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

Your position is clear from the introduction and conclusion: you consider replacing a usual doctor with alternative treatment a negative development. You give two relevant reasons—possible risks and delays to effective care—and include examples involving diabetes and cancer. However, the response addresses the task only partially because the ideas are brief and not sufficiently explained. For instance, the diabetes example says sugar levels become higher, but does not explain how relying on unverified remedies causes this or what harm may follow. The cancer example is also asserted rather than developed. The response contains 193 words, so it does not meet the 250-word minimum. To strengthen the answer, explain each cause-and-effect link and add a specific, relevant example or qualification to support your position.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction states your view, two body paragraphs present separate reasons, and a conclusion restates your position. Linking phrases such as “The main reason,” “Another negative point,” “For example,” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the argument. This coherent structure meets the lower-band expectations and shows some effective progression. However, the links between claims and examples are sometimes abrupt, and the examples are not fully connected back to the main point. The repeated use of explicit signposts also makes the organisation somewhat mechanical. Develop each paragraph through a clearer sequence—claim, explanation, example, and consequence—and use referencing or varied transitions to connect these steps more naturally.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate your main ideas, including “alternative medicines,” “scientifically proven,” “side effects,” “qualified doctor,” and “chemotherapy.” These choices make the position understandable. However, the range is limited and some wording is inaccurate or repetitive, which keeps expression from being consistently precise. For example, “a normal doctor” is less suitable than a more exact term, while “their sugar level becomes more high” is awkward and “proper treatment” is repeated. There are also spelling errors such as “reaserch.” Aim to use more precise health-related collocations and check spelling carefully. The suggestions below offer alternatives that fit the argument and sound more appropriate for an academic essay.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use mostly straightforward sentence patterns, with some attempts to combine ideas using clauses such as “because they can have side effects” and “When a person have serious illness.” The meaning is generally recoverable, but errors occur often enough to affect fluency and accuracy. Examples include subject–verb agreement in “a person have,” missing articles in “he needs quick treatment” and “serious illness,” and the faulty construction “Most of these treatments do not have proper treatment do not have proper testing.” Sentence boundaries and spacing also need attention, as in “grow faster.For example.” Practise accurate simple sentences first, then build longer sentences with one clear subordinate clause. Proofreading for agreement, articles, and punctuation would make your ideas easier to read.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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