Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-31

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)

With the increasing availibility of medicines and treatments, individuals are trying different types of medicines and cures instead of visiting their regular doctors. I believe this is neither negative nor positive development as treatement from the one doctor is way better than trying out other methods, but sometimes the specific qualified doctors can charge a lot more money other professionals.

Firstly, individuals try new alternative medicines and treatments because other treatments can offer benefits, particulary in terms of affordability and accessibility, some people may find their regual medicine expensive so they look out for better and cheaper alternate, as nowadays prices vary from brand to brand but the difference in content is often minimal. Moreover, People can find medical consultations expensive as well, so they look out for better and pocket friendly alternates. For instance hospitals often sell medicine at higher rates compared to retailers, they use their own branding to increase the prices and availability. As a result indiviuals buy the same medicine for much price from independent sellers.

On the other hand, relying on regular treatment can have several disadvantages, particularly regarding people,s health some medicine and treatments often lack scientific evidance, professional and well known doctors often provide expensive treatment but their work is well known and they use reputated medicines and treatments, they are qualified enough to prescribe the medicine. For instance unqualified doctors will provide cheap treatment but their equipment is far inferior compared to what qualified doctors. As a result unqualified doctors might lead to severe health conditions and potentially leadin to further complications.

In conclusion, alternate medicines and treatments can be cheaper for people seeking out cheap medicines, But relying on alternates can have negative effects on perosnal health and it might lead into further complications.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address the question and give a position, but the view that this is “neither negative nor positive” is not maintained clearly: the introduction says regular doctors are better, while the conclusion mainly warns about the health risks of alternatives. The affordability argument is relevant, and the example comparing hospital and retailer prices helps explain why people seek other options. However, the discussion sometimes shifts from alternative treatments to cheaper versions of conventional medicines, so the central issue is not always clear. The point about unqualified practitioners and possible complications is also relevant but needs a more specific explanation or example. Develop both sides more fully and state clearly whether you consider the overall trend positive or negative.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable introduction, two body paragraphs signalled by “Firstly” and “On the other hand,” and a conclusion. This gives the reader a basic route through the discussion. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes difficult to follow because several ideas are joined in long, loosely connected sentences. For example, the first body paragraph moves from medicine prices to consultation costs and then hospital branding without clearly distinguishing these points. The second paragraph’s opening claim about “relying on regular treatment” also conflicts with the following discussion of unqualified doctors. Use clearer topic sentences, separate distinct reasons, and make references such as “they” and “their” unambiguous. The linking phrases are useful, but the relationships between ideas need to be more precise.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “affordability,” “accessibility,” “scientific evidence,” “qualified,” and “complications.” These choices show an attempt to discuss healthcare beyond very basic terms. However, the range is limited by repeated use of “medicine,” “treatment,” and “cheap,” and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, such as “regular medicine,” “pocket friendly alternates,” and “reputated medicines.” Spelling errors—including “availibility,” “treatement,” and “evidance”—are noticeable and reduce the accuracy of the writing. Aim for more precise distinctions between alternative therapies, conventional medicines, and practitioners, and check spelling and collocations carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including clauses introduced by “because,” “as,” and “but.” However, complex sentences are often not controlled successfully, and frequent errors sometimes make relationships between ideas hard to interpret. For example, “some people may find their regual medicine expensive so they look out for better and cheaper alternate” needs clearer clause punctuation and a complete, correctly formed ending. There are also errors in articles, agreement, and sentence construction, as in “neither negative nor positive development” and “compared to what qualified doctors.” Commas are often used where a full stop or semicolon is needed, creating run-on sentences. Practise building shorter, accurate sentences before combining them.

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