Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-19

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)

In today's world, a vast majority of people are opting to substitute medications instead of going to their doctors.I strongly believe that it is a negative development as it can lead to more serious health problems.

From my perspective, lack of financial resources could potentially be the leading reasons why people avoiding regular medical checkups. This is because maintaining good health and accessing healthcare services can involve considerable expenses, including consultation fees, medical tests, prescribed medications, and transportation costs. For example, an individual suffering from asthema may require frequent visits to a doctor. However, if this individual has limited financial resources, they may choose to postpone medical appointments or skip them altogether to avoid additional expenses.

Additionally, another primary reason for people with health issues trying alternative medications and treatments instead of going to the doctor, could be the unavailability of healthcare resources such as, hospitals and clinics etc. For instance, people who reside in rural areas have very few healthcare centers in their vicinity. Due to this, it can possibly result in them suffering from major health issues. Furthermore, it can make them choose alternative treatments as an option.

In conclusion, many people with health problems and diseases, who take alternative medicines instead of availing the opportunity of going to their usual doctor, can potentially have a drastic impact on their health in the future. Therefore, financial difficulties can discourage people from seeking preventive healthcare, even when they understand its importance for maintaining their overall well-being.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

Your position is clear in the introduction: you consider replacing a usual doctor with alternative treatment a negative development, and the conclusion reiterates possible harm to health. However, the response only partly develops the task. Much of the body explains why people may avoid doctors—cost and limited rural access—rather than explaining in detail why relying on alternative treatments is harmful or when it might be beneficial. The asthma example supports the financial-access point, but the claim that rural residents may suffer major health issues is not illustrated or explained. The response is also three words below the required minimum. To strengthen the answer, develop the consequences of delaying diagnosis or using ineffective remedies, and connect each example directly to your judgement.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion. The ideas are generally understandable, and signposts such as “Additionally,” “For instance,” and “In conclusion” help show the intended sequence. However, progression is somewhat mechanical, and the links between causes of avoiding doctors and the negative effects of alternative treatment are not always made explicit. In the second body paragraph, “Due to this” and “Furthermore” introduce related points, but the relationship between limited clinics, serious illness and choosing alternative treatments remains unclear. The conclusion also shifts back to financial difficulties rather than drawing together both body points. Make each paragraph follow a clear claim–explanation–example sequence and use references that state precisely what “this” refers to.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonably varied set of topic-related expressions, including “financial resources,” “consultation fees,” “healthcare services,” and “rural areas.” These choices allow you to discuss access to care, and the meaning is generally clear. However, some phrasing is repetitive or imprecise: “alternative medications and treatments” is repeated, while “availing the opportunity of going to their usual doctor” is an awkward way to express seeking medical care. There are also noticeable spelling and word-choice problems, such as “asthema” and “healthcare centers in their vicinity.” Aim for more natural collocations and precise terms, such as “alternative remedies,” “consult a doctor,” and “healthcare facilities.” Proofreading spelling and avoiding repeated wording would make the vocabulary more controlled.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including conditional structures such as “if this individual has limited financial resources” and a relative clause beginning “people who reside in rural areas.” Most of the message remains understandable, but errors occur in sentence construction, agreement and punctuation. For example, “the leading reasons why people avoiding regular medical checkups” is missing a finite verb, and “a primary reason … could be the unavailability … such as, hospitals” has an awkwardly constructed list and punctuation. There is also no space after the full stop in “doctors.I strongly.” Review verb forms and sentence boundaries, and check that each clause has a clear subject and verb. More accurate control of these patterns would make your complex sentences easier to follow.

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