Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-30

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)

No, i think this is a negative development people can face a lot of consequences.

Nowadays, a growing number of people with health problems are trying alternative medicines and treatments instead of visiting their usual doctor. Using medicine without the recomendation of doctor can cause serious health related issues. these medicine can react in your body like they can cause allergy or any other problem. Doctors know what to give and what not to give to the patient so using any medicine on your own is not good because you don't know that for what purpose this medicine is used for for example one of my friend is headache and he use the medicine of sugar without consulting any doctor and then when his situation got serious then he consult to a doctor and doctor told him that amount of insoloin is incrased in his body then needed and then he got admitted in hospital for 5 days.

If you are using the medicine suggested by the doctor and the doctor told you to complete the course of 7 days but after taking medicine for 3 days you are not getting well you should not stop using the medicine you should always complete the course of medicine because if you would not complete the course and if you consult any other doctor without completing the course of the previous doctor suggested medicine the other doctor would give you the new medicine this is the waste of money and health for example your body would build resistence for antibiotics and the low potency antibiotics would not affect on your body and using a lot of antibiotics is also not good for your health

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

Your position is clear from the opening: you consider relying on alternative treatment instead of a usual doctor a negative development. You support this with relevant concerns about self-medication and antibiotic resistance, and the friend’s hospital experience gives one concrete example. However, the response only partly addresses the specific issue: it focuses mainly on taking medicine without medical advice and on changing or stopping prescribed courses, rather than explaining alternative treatments themselves or comparing them with conventional care. The example is also difficult to follow, and the second main point is not fully explained. To strengthen the response, develop two distinct reasons directly about alternative treatments and explain how each supports your position.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable progression: it states a negative view, gives a risk related to self-medication, and then discusses treatment courses and antibiotic resistance. Examples help connect the claims to practical consequences. However, the ideas are presented in two very long blocks, with no clear paragraphing to separate the main reasons. Connections are often mechanical or unclear, particularly the repeated use of “because” and the shift from alternative treatments to following a doctor’s prescription. The friend’s example also runs through several events without clear signposting. Use separate paragraphs for each reason, begin each with a focused topic sentence, and use linking phrases selectively so the relationship between claim, explanation, and example is easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “allergy,” “consulting,” “antibiotics,” and “resistance,” which helps communicate the health-related argument. However, the range is limited and several words or phrases are repeated, especially “medicine,” “doctor,” and “body.” There are also noticeable spelling and word-choice problems, such as “recomendation,” “insoloin,” “incrased,” and “resistence”; these can make important details harder to understand. Some expressions are imprecise, for example “medicine of sugar” and “waste of money and health.” Build a more accurate set of phrases for discussing treatment, such as “prescribed medication,” “seek medical advice,” and “adverse reaction,” and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to explain causes and consequences using longer sentences, including the sentence beginning “If you are using the medicine suggested by the doctor.” This shows an effort to go beyond simple statements. However, the range is limited, and complex sentences are often difficult to control. Errors in sentence boundaries and punctuation are frequent: the opening joins a position and a consequence without a full stop, and the long example beginning “for example one of my friend” contains several clauses that are not clearly separated. There are also recurring problems with articles, agreement, and verb forms, as in “one of my friend is headache” and “he use.” Practise shorter, complete sentences first, then combine ideas with accurate clauses and punctuation.

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