Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Recently , many individuals affected by various health conditions are trying alternative medicines and treatments instead of visiting their usual doctor . I disagree with this view , due to a combination of factors such as risk of diagnosis worsening and lack of professional involvement

Although not visiting your usual doctor is preferred by a few individuals , it generally has more disadvantages than advantages . A huge threat this poses is risk of worsening of diagnosis . If a person has been diagnosed with a certain disease or condition , regular check-ups is preferred over self- treatment as the condition could get worse . A relevant example from my experience was when a friend of mine was diagnosed with fever , but due to his ignorance and lack of proper visits to the doctor , his health was at a decline .

Another major reason so as to why I disagree is due to the lack of professional involvement . Even though people know that they should pay regular visits to the doctor , due to factors like expense and ignorance , this is most often forgotten about . Professional involvement can be extremely important , as their experience and technique make a huge difference to the recovery process . For example , an athelte hires a physiotherapist with less experience for his recovery process , as opposed to an experienced physiotherapist working with another athelete . The activities amd provedures of the more experienced physiotherapist will be more effective , due to his experience and due to exposure to a wide range of situations he has been exposed to .

Overall , although people try to cut cost by avoiding their doctor , I believe that it is worth the extra amount to get your body check often as treating hourself in the lack of a doctor can lead to worsening of your condition and lack of experience with cases similar to yours .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

Your position is clear: you disagree with replacing a usual doctor with alternative treatment, and you give two relevant reasons—possible deterioration and the value of professional care. The friend’s illness and the physiotherapist comparison provide examples, so the response addresses the question and meets the required length. However, the discussion of alternative medicines themselves is not always precise: the first body paragraph shifts to avoiding check-ups and self-treatment, without explaining how alternative treatments could delay diagnosis or cause harm. The second example also illustrates differences in professional experience more than the specific choice between alternative and conventional medicine. To strengthen the response, explain these links directly and develop the consequences of each reason more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay has a recognisable structure: an introduction, two body paragraphs presenting separate reasons, and a concluding opinion. This gives the reader an overall coherent route through your argument. You also use signposting such as “Another major reason” and “Overall.” However, some connections are mechanical or unclear. The opening of the first body paragraph (“Although not visiting your usual doctor is preferred by a few individuals”) does not clearly set up the argument that follows, and the physiotherapist example needs a clearer link to alternative medicine. Some references, including “this” and “their,” could be made more specific. Use topic sentences that state each point directly, then connect the example and explanation explicitly to the question.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some topic-relevant vocabulary, including “health conditions,” “regular check-ups,” “professional involvement,” and “recovery process.” These choices help communicate your main concerns. However, several expressions are imprecise or unnatural, such as “risk of diagnosis worsening,” “his health was at a decline,” and “cut cost.” There are also spelling errors, including “athelte,” “athelete,” “amd,” and “provedures,” which reduce accuracy. Some wording is repeated, particularly references to experience and doctors, and “ignorance” is used broadly where a more exact description would help. Aim for natural collocations and precise terms—for example, describe a condition worsening rather than a diagnosis worsening—and proofread spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex structures, including conditional reasoning (“If a person has been diagnosed…”) and contrast clauses beginning “Although” and “Even though.” The main meaning is generally understandable, but some grammatical errors remain. For example, “regular check-ups is preferred” has a subject–verb agreement error, while “his health was at a decline” uses an incorrect grammatical construction. The final sentence also shifts between “people,” “your,” and “yourself,” making the reference inconsistent. Punctuation spacing is irregular, with spaces before commas and full stops. Work on agreement, consistent pronouns, and sentence boundaries, and check each sentence for a clear subject and verb. More accurate control of these patterns would make your complex sentences easier to follow.

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