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)

In recent years, many people have health problems. They are trying alternatives treatments and herbal remedies instead of visiting their doctors.

On the one hand, alternatives treatments can have some positive effects. Firstly, they are often more cheaper and accessible than modern medical care. Some people believe that different types of therapies are better than medicines. Meditation and yoga are very helpful to reduce stress, anxiety and depression in humans. Many people have a problem of back pain. For this, the long-term use of painkillers are not good for health. It have many side effects. Finally, many people have more interest in herbal medicines because they have been used by their families or generations.

However, the disadvantages of this trend outweigh the advantages. The main concern is that all other alternatives of medicines are not proven by science. Therefore, this is not 100% reliable for health. For instance, a human with early stage of cancer can be cure with medical care. Highly experienced doctors can save their lives by medication. Furthermore, some herbal medicines can have bad effects on health. For example, many Hakeems are unregistered and their medicines are not trust worthy. They can be harmful for the health. Another issue is that alternatives practioners have no experience and fail to diagnose diseases on exact time.

In conclusion, for little health issues like: back pain or shoulder pain, we can relay on therapies and yoga instead of painkillers. But for serious health issues we should trust on doctors medication. Because the science proven medicines are good and well being for our health.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

Your position is clear: you acknowledge possible benefits of alternative treatments but conclude that relying on them is negative when serious illness is involved. Relevant support includes yoga and meditation for stress, concerns about painkillers, and the example of cancer treatment. This addresses the question and gives reasons, while the contrast between minor and serious conditions helps clarify your view. To strengthen the response further, develop some points more fully: explain how family tradition can influence treatment choices, and make the cancer example more precise rather than suggesting that early cancer can simply be cured. A clearer distinction between complementary therapies and alternatives used instead of medical care would also make your argument more fully developed and nuanced.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, a paragraph presenting benefits, a paragraph explaining concerns, and a conclusion. The progression from possible advantages to your final judgement is easy to follow, and signposts such as “On the one hand,” “However,” and “In conclusion” help guide the reader. Some linking is mechanical, however, particularly the repeated use of “Firstly,” “Finally,” and “For example.” The conclusion also introduces a qualification about minor health issues that could be connected more explicitly to the earlier discussion. Improve cohesion by grouping related points and using clearer references—for instance, specify what “this” refers to in “Therefore, this is not 100% reliable”—rather than relying mainly on formulaic transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “herbal remedies,” “side effects,” “diagnose,” and “experienced doctors,” so the main ideas are generally understandable. There are also attempts to express distinctions between treatments and levels of risk. However, the range and control are uneven, with repeated or imprecise phrases such as “alternatives treatments,” “other alternatives of medicines,” and “good and well being for our health.” Spelling and word-form errors, including “practioners,” “trust worthy,” and “relay,” also reduce accuracy. Aim for more natural collocations and precise terms, such as “alternative treatments,” “unproven therapies,” and “rely on.” This would make the argument sound more fluent and appropriately academic.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use a mixture of simple sentences and some longer structures, including a conditional example about a person with cancer and clauses introduced by “because” and “that.” The overall meaning is usually clear, but grammatical errors occur in several sentence patterns. For example, “It have many side effects” has incorrect subject–verb agreement, while “the long-term use of painkillers are” mismatches the singular subject and verb. The phrase “can be cure” also needs a past participle, and “we should trust on doctors medication” has problems with the verb pattern and possessive form. Work on agreement, verb forms, and sentence boundaries, while continuing to practise complex sentences. More accurate control of these forms would make your reasoning easier to follow.

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