Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-20

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)

In the present time, many individuals have some health diseases due to their lifestyle or some environmental problems, and instead of visiting their health provider, they are trying home remedies to cure these problems. I strongly believe that it is the biggest disadvantage for our society.

In many countries, people are facing some health issues in day-to-day life, and they try to cure these concerns at home with some meds or ancient methods, and due to this, it harms their health. For instance, sometimes people have some fever or headaches after a hectic day; thereafter, they take some medicines on their own without knowing if it is harmful or not.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

Your position is clear: you consider self-treatment a serious disadvantage, and the example of taking medicine for a fever or headache without checking its safety is relevant. However, the response addresses the question only minimally. It focuses on home remedies and self-medication but does not explain the wider risks of alternative treatments or compare them with visiting a doctor. The single example is brief, and there is little explanation of how self-treatment can worsen health or why professional care is preferable. The required minimum length is not met: the response is 140 words short. Develop several distinct reasons, explain each one, and include a fuller example to address the task more completely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic overall shape: an opening paragraph states your view, followed by a paragraph giving a reason and an example. The example is introduced with “For instance,” and “thereafter” signals sequence, so the reader can follow the main point. However, there is no developed progression beyond this one supporting point, and the second paragraph combines several ideas in a long sentence joined repeatedly by “and.” The link between the general claim that self-treatment harms health and the specific fever-and-headache example could also be made clearer. Use separate paragraphs for distinct reasons, and connect each example explicitly to the argument.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You communicate the central topic with basic vocabulary such as “health issues,” “medicines,” and “harmful,” but the range is limited and some choices are imprecise or repetitive. “Health diseases” is not a natural expression; “health problems” or “illnesses” would be clearer. “Some meds” is informal for an academic essay, while “home remedies” does not fully capture the task’s broader reference to alternative medicines and treatments. The phrase “cure these concerns” is also an awkward collocation. Aim for more precise terms such as “self-medication,” “untested remedies,” and “seek medical advice,” while avoiding repeated use of “some” and “problems.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use some longer sentence forms, including the opening sentence with “and instead of,” and the example sentence beginning “For instance.” Meaning is generally understandable, but the response relies heavily on sentences joined with “and,” which limits the range and makes relationships between ideas less controlled. In “In many countries, people are facing some health issues … and they try …, and due to this, it harms their health,” the pronoun “it” has an unclear reference, and the sentence is overloaded. “In the present time” is also an awkward grammatical construction; “At present” is more natural. Use a mix of shorter sentences and subordinate clauses, checking that pronouns clearly refer to the intended noun.

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