Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-21

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 this modern era, a number of individuals experiment different treatments and medications by their own rather than consulting a general physician. While to some extent this is a good idea as it saves individual money but it may cause serious health concerns in longer time span.

First and foremost, people choose home remidies and alternatives instead of visiting a doctor as it help them to be in budget. To be more precise, nowadays, every doctor charge a unreasonable consultation charges which is difficult to afford for economic families. As a consequence, they choose taking medicines at home without consulting a physician. In addition to this, people are also becomming educated and for minior concerns they choose to not to visit a doctor so they take medicines from a pharmacy store and take them as per their knowledge.

On the other hand, taking medicines by their own is good idea but this may cause serious health concerns. In other words, few symptoms require an urgent medical attention but people usually ignore them. Taking medicines without knowing the cause may worse the condition. Furthermore, as people are unsure about the cause they take unprescribed medicines which futher cause another issues. Also by visiting a doctor helps identify the cause as doctors prescribe some medical examination if required which helps a lot in the treatment.

In conclusion, while i think for minor concerns it is better to choose alternatives and home remidies but sometimes it may worsen the condition. Additionally, few symptoms require urgent medical supervision but people neglect them and bear the consequences.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You present a clear overall view: alternatives may be useful for minor concerns, but relying on them can be harmful. The response also gives relevant reasons on both sides, including the cost of consultations and the risk of overlooking serious symptoms. However, the position is not fully consistent: the introduction calls the development “a good idea” to some extent, while the conclusion recommends alternatives for minor concerns without clearly distinguishing safe self-care from replacing a doctor. Several points, such as the claim that people are becoming more educated, are asserted rather than explained or supported with a specific example. Clarify your overall judgement and develop the reasons with more precise explanation to address the task more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, a paragraph explaining why people choose alternatives, a paragraph outlining risks, and a conclusion. Linking expressions such as “First and foremost,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” help signal this progression. However, some connections feel mechanical, and ideas within paragraphs are sometimes joined without showing their precise relationship. For example, the point about people becoming educated is followed by pharmacy self-medication, but the link between education and safe treatment is not established. The conclusion also repeats the risks already discussed rather than drawing the argument together. Use clearer referencing and vary transitions, while ensuring each sentence develops the paragraph’s central point.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “consulting a general physician,” “urgent medical attention,” “unprescribed medicines,” and “medical examination.” This gives you enough range to discuss both affordability and health risks. However, noticeable spelling and word-choice errors reduce precision, such as “remidies,” “minior,” and “futher.” Some combinations are also unnatural, including “in budget,” “consultation charges,” and “worse the condition.” These do not prevent the reader from understanding the main argument, but they make parts of it less fluent. Check spelling carefully and learn common word partnerships in context; choosing more precise expressions will help you explain the risks and benefits more naturally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including a concession in “While to some extent this is a good idea…” and a conditional idea about symptoms requiring attention. The overall meaning is generally understandable, but some errors in sentence structure and grammar remain. For example, “every doctor charge” has a subject–verb agreement error, and “people are also becomming educated” uses an incorrect verb form. In “by visiting a doctor helps identify the cause,” the opening phrase does not fit the sentence structure. Articles and plural forms also need attention, as in “a unreasonable consultation charges.” Review agreement, verb forms, and how introductory phrases connect to the main clause; more accurate control of these patterns would make your argument easier to follow.

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