Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-27

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)

Today, many people with health problems are trying medicines at homes rather than proper checkup and treatments. I believe it is a adavantage because it can reduce financial burden. I also believe that it is a negative development because sometime it will cause serious health diseases.

On the one hand, I think that trying alternative medicines at homes is a positive development because it can reduce financial burden. Doctor demands high fee for a minor checkup and recommends a common medicine. For example, If a patient has a stomach issue such as diarhea and can go for chekup. Doctors prescribed a general medicine and charge high fee which may increase financial pressure for low incoming people. As a result, I believe that for minor issues patient should try alternative medicines. Moreover, individuals can gain help from AI apps which may protect a person from spending money on medical specialist.

On the other hand, I believe that trying medicines at home sometime can lead to serious diseases. When a patient try a medicine at home without identifying the cause then it may lead to serious health problems. For instance, one of my close friends was diagnosed with a cancer at later stage. Initially, she used to take a medicine by their own instead of visiting a doctor. Consequently, I believe that this measure is a disadvantage for people and people should try regular checkups.

In conclusion, although trying basic medicines for minor diseases is a advantage because it may save some money, I believe that individuals should visit their doctor to eliminate the basic cause.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address the question by presenting both a benefit and a risk, and your overall position is that self-treatment may help with minor problems but should not replace medical care. The examples about the cost of a check-up and your friend’s late cancer diagnosis are relevant and help explain both sides. However, the positive argument is less fully developed: the claim that alternative medicines reduce costs is not balanced against the possibility of ineffective or unsafe treatment, and the point about AI apps is introduced without explaining how reliable advice would be ensured. The conclusion also focuses mainly on visiting a doctor rather than clearly weighing the overall development. Develop these points and state your judgement more decisively throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, two contrasting body paragraphs signposted by “On the one hand” and “On the other hand,” and a conclusion. The ideas generally progress in a logical order, and examples are placed alongside the claims they support. This meets the lower-band expectations and shows some stronger control through paragraphing and clear sequencing. To make the progression more consistently smooth, avoid repeating the same conclusion within a paragraph—for example, the first body paragraph repeats that minor issues should be treated at home—and make links between claims more explicit. The reference to AI apps arrives abruptly, while “this measure” in the second body paragraph is not fully precise. Clearer links and references would make cohesion less mechanical.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “financial burden,” “medical specialist,” “serious health problems,” and “regular checkups.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or repetitive, which makes some phrases less natural. For example, “medicines at homes” and “high incoming people” do not express the intended meanings clearly; “people with low incomes” and “self-medicate at home” would be more idiomatic. Spelling errors such as “adavantage,” “diarhea,” and “chekup” also reduce accuracy. Build a wider set of precise expressions for treatment, costs, and medical advice, and check spelling and collocations carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including conditional and subordinate structures such as “When a patient try a medicine at home without identifying the cause then it may lead to serious health problems.” The main meaning is usually understandable, and the response includes some varied sentence forms. However, some grammatical errors recur: subject–verb agreement (“a patient try,” “Doctors prescribed”), articles (“it is a advantage”), and pronouns (“by their own”). There are also tense inconsistencies, as in “was diagnosed” followed by “she used to take,” where the sequence could be expressed more clearly. Review agreement, articles, and tense choices, then proofread each sentence. More accurate control of these patterns would strengthen the complex sentences you are already attempting.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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