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)

Yes, I can say that the number of people are preferring the alternative medicines and treatments these days. But in my opinion, they rather visit their doctors, as they are the ones with concrete evidence on how to treat different ailments.

Doctors are using their knowledge and the advance technologies to rule out the diagnosis of the patient and as per the findings they are providing the best, satisfactory care and treatment. Alternative medicines ,no doubt are trending a lot these days, but sometimes even they do not have a proper management of some conditions. Even if a person is going there ,they also must have a second opinion from their doctors too in order to ease their minds.

Doctors use a lot of evidence-based practice methods in their treatment which helps them to treat the patient accordingly. For instance, if the patient is having a heart attack, the person cannot go and find a treatment in other medicine practices, they need to visit a hospital to the doctors only. Or, if someone is having a cancer they need to have a regular visit to their doctors so that they can prepare a proper plan on their treatment and also can have the prognosis regarding their condition.

Alternative medicines are good and can treat some ailments, but they will not provide the best results compared to when we go and see our doctors. They are helpful in providing some lifestyle benefits but getting treated by doctors is still the best option.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

Your position is clear: you consider relying on a usual doctor preferable, while acknowledging that alternative treatments may help with some ailments. You address the comparison with relevant examples, especially the heart attack and cancer cases, and explain why medical diagnosis and ongoing care matter. This meets the task well, and the examples begin to support your view. However, the discussion is not fully developed: the claim that alternative treatments may help with lifestyle benefits is left general, and you do not explain in detail when or why people choose them or what risks arise from replacing conventional care. Developing these points and linking them more explicitly to whether the trend is positive or negative would make the argument more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: it states your view, explains the role of doctors, gives examples, and ends with a summary. Paragraphing helps distinguish the main points, and signposts such as “For instance” and “but” make the argument’s direction understandable. However, progression is sometimes repetitive: the importance of doctors is asserted several times without each paragraph adding a distinct layer of reasoning. Some links are also mechanical or unclear, as in “Even if a person is going there,” where the reference is not precise. Organise the body around separate reasons—for example, reliable diagnosis and the danger of delaying urgent treatment—and use clearer references and transitions to connect them.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “alternative medicines,” “evidence-based practice,” “diagnosis,” “ailments,” and “prognosis.” These terms help communicate the subject and show some willingness to use more specific language. At times, however, word choice and collocation are imprecise: “rule out the diagnosis” does not clearly express the intended process, and “satisfactory care” and “lifestyle benefits” are broad or unnatural in context. Repetition of “doctors,” “treatment,” and “alternative medicines” also limits flexibility. Aim for more precise combinations such as “assess a patient’s condition,” “provide appropriate care,” and “complement conventional treatment,” while checking that each phrase conveys your intended meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex structures, including clauses with “as,” “if,” and “so that,” and your meaning is generally understandable. Some grammatical errors remain, however. In the opening, “the number of people are preferring” has subject–verb agreement and verb-form problems; “the number” takes a singular verb, and a simple present form would be more natural. Other examples include “the advance technologies,” “if someone is having a cancer,” and “they can prepare a proper plan … and also can have the prognosis,” where articles, phrasing within the sentence, and parallel structure need attention. Review agreement, articles, and the construction of longer sentences, then proofread punctuation and spacing around commas.

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