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)

Recently, more people are following different methods of treatments neglecting their usual doctors. In my opinion, this is a negative approach because doctors and health care professionals are available their to tackle health issues and they have more knowledge than anyone else regarding this field.

individuals seeking other methods of treatment are nowadays influenced by many factors such as social media, cheap medicines, advice from unprofessionals. One of the factors affecting people's decision is the social media where it is shown different approaches for overcoming a health issue. Treating your ownself rather than consulting a doctor by following online dilemas has many side effects to a persons health and may prolong medical issues as well.

Saving money is also a major reason for approaching other methods. Doctors can be expensive sometimes depending on the treatment but other form of treatments can also be costly and with less positive results.

Other forms of treatment such as homeopathic are popular among many which costs less in comparison to alopathic medicines. homeo medicines is one of the famous alternatives people usually tend to go for, But it should be kept in mind that homeopathic itself was made to help alongside general medicines not just ingesting on its own.

There are many reasons individuals take alternative approach regarding their health and treatment seeking fast results in less cost, but it also brings many drawbacks as well. I think this is a negative development and people should seek their doctors because their should be no compromise in health, as it is often said that health and well-being is wealth.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear: you consider relying on alternative treatments instead of a usual doctor to be negative, and you give relevant reasons, including social-media advice, possible health consequences, and cost. The discussion of online self-treatment is the most developed, as you explain that it may cause side effects or prolong medical problems. However, the cost point is less fully explained: you note that alternatives can also be costly and less effective, but do not show clearly how this supports your overall argument. The claim that homeopathy was intended to be used alongside conventional medicine is also asserted rather than supported. Develop each reason with a specific example or clearer explanation, and distinguish between complementary treatments and replacing medical care.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has an overall structure: it introduces your view, presents reasons in separate sections, and returns to your position in the conclusion. This makes the main line of argument understandable. However, progression between ideas is sometimes loose. The opening mentions advice from “unprofessionals,” but this point is not developed, while the paragraph about cost shifts to homeopathy without a clear link. Some connections are also mechanical or unclear, such as “There are many reasons… but it also brings many drawbacks.” Use topic sentences that state each paragraph’s main point, then connect the explanation and example directly to it. Clearer referencing and more deliberate transitions would make the argument easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “health care professionals,” “side effects,” “medical issues,” and “alternative approach.” These choices help communicate your position, and you attempt more specific terms such as “homeopathic” and “allopathic.” However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, including “methods of treatments,” “Treating your ownself,” and “ingesting on its own.” Spelling and word-form errors such as “dilemas,” “alopathic,” and “homeo medicines” also reduce precision. Aim for natural, accurate phrases such as “treatment options,” “self-medicate,” and “take homeopathic remedies.” Checking spelling and choosing standard medical terminology would make your vocabulary more reliable.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, for example, “Treating your ownself rather than consulting a doctor… has many side effects” and the contrast between doctors’ costs and alternative treatments. The main meaning is generally understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. Examples include “doctors and health care professionals are available their,” where the sentence structure and pronoun are faulty, and “homeo medicines is,” where subject–verb agreement is incorrect. Punctuation and sentence boundaries also need attention: the opening paragraph ends with a full stop, but the next sentence begins with a lowercase letter. Review agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries, and proofread longer sentences to ensure each clause is complete and correctly connected.

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