Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-22
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)
These days it is very common in most people who are suffering from health issues using medicine without doctor prescription. In my perspective, it us a negative development because people can face lots of problems by using wrong medicine. In this essay I will give some reasons why it is a negative development.
To begin with, people who don't use prescripted medicine can reduce the risk of life and also they can deal with multiple diseases. For instance, Some individuals use panadol (paracetamol) for headache some time for fever and other purposes without any doctor advice, which sometimes react and patient start vomiting. Moreover, using different types of medicine can cost a lot if patient use it without doctor consultation. For example, Someone is dealing with illness and not aware of treatment they think doctor will also prescribed medicine and just buy it from market which can be costly not effective and also dangerous sometimes.
On the other hand, relaying on alternative treatments instead of visiting doctor can be sometimes dangerous, because some illness requires proper treatment. For example, a person with serious infection may wast their valuable time and money on different medications use without doctor consultation.
In conclusion, I believe it is a negative development. Because it can cost a lot of money and also people may waste their time by finding out and the right diagnosis for the illness. And some time it can be very dangerous if someone use the wrong medicine for the wrong illness.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
Your position is clear: you consider self-directed use of alternative treatments a negative development, and you give relevant reasons, including possible harm, wasted time, and expense. The examples of taking paracetamol without advice and delaying care for a serious infection help connect your argument to the topic. However, the response only partly develops the task: it focuses mainly on medicines taken without a prescription, while the prompt specifically contrasts alternative treatments with visiting a usual doctor. The first body paragraph also begins with the unclear claim that avoiding prescribed medicine can “reduce the risk of life,” which appears to contradict your position. Explain more precisely how alternative treatments may delay diagnosis or interact with prescribed care, and develop each example to show its consequences.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Sequencing phrases such as “To begin with,” “Moreover,” and “In conclusion” make the intended organisation visible, and the main position is repeated at the end. However, progression between ideas is not always clear. “On the other hand” suggests a contrasting viewpoint, but the paragraph continues to support your negative position. The first body paragraph also combines health risks and cost without a clear link, and the sentence beginning “For instance” is difficult to follow. Use topic sentences that state one main reason per paragraph, connect each example explicitly to that reason, and choose linking expressions according to the actual relationship between ideas.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “health issues,” “doctor consultation,” “serious infection,” and “diagnosis,” so the reader can generally identify the subject of your argument. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or unclear, sometimes making the meaning difficult to interpret. For example, “prescripted medicine” is not the natural expression, and “reduce the risk of life” does not convey a clear meaning. “Relaying on” and “wast” also show spelling or word-form problems. Aim to use precise phrases for the central topic, such as “alternative treatments,” “medical advice,” and “delay seeking professional care,” and check spelling and collocations during revision.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, including a reason clause with “because” and examples introduced by “which.” However, control is inconsistent, and errors in sentence construction and verb forms sometimes make the argument hard to follow. For example, “it is very common in most people … using” has an incomplete or faulty structure, while “it us a negative development” contains an incorrect verb form. In “they think doctor will also prescribed medicine,” the verb pattern is incorrect, and the final sentence beginning “Because” is not well connected to the preceding sentence. Practise complete sentence patterns, subject–verb agreement, articles, and consistent verb forms; then proofread punctuation and sentence boundaries.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.