Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-28

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 5.0)

Elderly people are often so desperate to recover that they become stubborn. They feel that medical treatment takes too long and involves too many lengthy procedures. That is why they turn to alternative remedies, which usually claim to cure illnesses very quickly, and they believe herbal medicine is healthier.

However, herbal medicines often do not come with a proper dosage, which is what makes them dangerous, because overconsumption can also harm organs that were not affected in the first place.

For example, my grandparents always used herbal medicine, and in the end they developed complications in other organs and passed away.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You take a discernible negative view of relying on alternative remedies, and the point about uncertain dosage is relevant: you explain that excessive use may harm other organs. However, the response addresses the question only minimally. It focuses on herbal medicine and elderly people, without considering alternative treatments more broadly or explaining why people may choose them instead of visiting their usual doctor. The personal example about your grandparents supports your concern, but it is brief and does not establish clearly how the remedies caused their complications. The response is also 149 words below the required minimum, leaving too little space to develop reasons and examples. To strengthen the answer, state your position directly and develop several relevant points with clearer support.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The ideas are arranged in a basic, understandable sequence: you introduce why some people choose remedies, then explain a risk and give a personal example. The paragraph break and linking expressions such as “That is why” and “For example” help the reader follow this progression. However, the response is very short and has no concluding statement, so the overall argument feels incomplete rather than fully developed. The connection between the claim that remedies lack proper dosage and your grandparents’ complications could also be made more explicit. A clearer structure—with an introduction stating your view, separate paragraphs for developed reasons and evidence, and a brief conclusion—would create stronger progression. Use linking phrases to show relationships between ideas, not simply to introduce the next point.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a range of relevant vocabulary, including “alternative remedies,” “herbal medicine,” “dosage,” “overconsumption,” and “complications.” These choices make the central concern understandable and show some ability to use topic-specific language. However, the range is limited by the short response, and some expressions are broad or imprecise: “medical treatment takes too long” and “herbal medicine is healthier” would benefit from more specific wording or explanation. “Stubborn” also risks sounding judgemental and does not precisely describe why people choose alternative care. Aim for more measured, accurate phrasing and a wider set of terms for treatments, risks, and medical advice. This would make the argument more precise and appropriately formal.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

Your sentences are generally clear, and you use both straightforward statements and a more complex structure, as in “which is what makes them dangerous, because overconsumption can also harm organs.” The past-tense example about your grandparents is also understandable. However, the range of sentence patterns is limited, with several short statements and repeated simple constructions. The sentence beginning “For example” joins a personal example to a serious outcome, but the causal relationship would be clearer if expressed in a carefully structured sentence. Practise using a wider mix of subordinate clauses and contrast structures to explain reasons and consequences. More varied sentence forms, while maintaining the clarity shown in most of this response, would strengthen grammatical control.

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