Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

In present, a growing number of people with health problems are trying alternative medicines and tratements instead of visiting their usual doctor.I partially agree with this statement due to the fact it has positive impact and also negative impacts. Although its dissadvantages are more in number than advantages. But we cannot igore its advantages.

Firstly, their are huge populations in many countries that are living from hand to mouth. They cannot affort the doctor's fee 2nd time. That is why, they buy the same or alternative medicines which they had bought in past. Due to applying this formula, they save a lot of part of income which they had earn. Another reason is that sometimes a situation came when their is no doctor nearby and the patient is in emergency. So, he needs an instant tablets or cure. At that time you have to give the medicine or treatement that once doctor gave you or you know.

Secondly, it is very harmful for patient. It has a risk of life. Every medicine have expiry date, if you use them youself it may be react and ultimately you dies. Moreover, some specific tablets are for specific people. In addition, only doctors knows the exact measurement of medicines. If you takes medicine more in one time it is also a cause of death. Doctors have ability to give proper treatments because he is a person who had knowledge and ideas about surgries, medicines and other treatments.

In conclusion, it has positive as well as negative aspects although its negative impacts are more but sometimes it saves someone's life.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address the question by presenting both benefits and risks, and your conclusion makes your overall view clear: the disadvantages are greater, although alternative treatment may sometimes help in an emergency. The points about affordability and lack of nearby medical care are relevant, as are the risks of incorrect dosage and using unsuitable or expired medicine. However, the affordability point is developed more clearly than the emergency example, and the claim that self-treatment can cause death would be stronger with a specific, realistic example or explanation. Your opening says you “partially agree,” which is less precise than directly stating whether you consider the development positive or negative. Make that position explicit and support each main reason more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction, two body paragraphs presenting contrasting sides, and a conclusion. “Firstly,” “Secondly,” and “In conclusion” help signal the stages of the argument. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes difficult to follow, particularly where the affordability point moves to reusing medicines and then to saving income. The phrase “Although its disadvantages are more in number than advantages. But…” creates a broken and repetitive connection between ideas. References such as “this formula” and “it” are also not always clear. Organise each paragraph around one main point, explain it in sequence, and use linking expressions and pronouns more precisely to make the argument easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “alternative medicines,” “expiry date,” “specific tablets,” and “proper treatments,” so the reader can understand the subject and your main points. However, the range is limited and several word-choice, collocation, and spelling problems make the writing less natural. For example, “living from hand to mouth” does not fit smoothly with the point about paying for a doctor, while “instant tablets” and “save a lot of part of income” are unclear or awkward. Spelling errors such as “tratements,” “dissadvantages,” and “affort” are noticeable. Build a more accurate set of health-related phrases and check spelling; for instance, use “afford a consultation” and “immediate treatment” where appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a conditional idea in “if you use them yourself” and a reason introduced by “That is why.” However, control is uneven, and errors in sentence formation, agreement, verb forms, and punctuation sometimes make the reader pause. Examples include “Every medicine have,” “if you takes medicine,” and “ultimately you dies”; these need subject–verb agreement. The opening also contains a sentence fragment beginning “Although,” followed by “But,” and several sentences run together without adequate spacing or punctuation. Practise forming complete sentences and checking agreement and verb forms, while retaining some complex structures. Clearer sentence boundaries would make your reasoning easier to understand.

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