Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-03

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)

The growing trend of health problems in which people are trying to use alternative medicines and treatments without visiting their usual doctor has become increasingly noticeable in recent years. In my opinion, this is a negative development because they are not speciallist to prescribe an alternative by themselves and also it can theat their lives.

One of the main reason why i consider this a negative development is that people do not have khnowledge like a specaillist doctor. They do not have enough knowledge about that medicine's positive or negative side effects.It is a doctor who knows that which medicine can effect patients health, which have side effects and which is good for patients health according to his other statitics. For example, if a doctor examines a patient and prescribes some medicines to him and after 2 or 3 days patient feels no changings in him and start taking some alternatives as he thinks that now he knows what is the problem and he can take some alternatives and after that he starts taking alternatives without visiting his doctor and waste his time in using alternates without knowing its sides effects. As a result it may effect his health more and the actual disease remains its own place, which means he can face plenty of health problems.

Furthermore, life threatening situation provides another reason to support my view. This is because if a patient tries alternatives without knowing its positive or negative effects this may lead him to life threatening position.

In conclusion, i beleive that the people with health problems are trying alternative medicines and treatments instead of going their usual doctor is a negative development because, it may lead in a life threatening situation.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

Your position is clear: you consider self-directed use of alternative treatments a negative development, and you give relevant reasons involving limited medical knowledge and possible danger. The example of a patient changing treatment after only two or three days helps illustrate the risk. However, the response addresses the task only partially because the second reason—“life threatening situation”—is asserted rather than explained or supported with a specific example. The first reason also repeats the idea that patients may not know about side effects without fully showing how this could lead to harm. To strengthen the response, explain each consequence in more detail and add a relevant example, while maintaining your clear position throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction states your view, two body paragraphs present reasons, and a conclusion restates your position. Linking phrases such as “One of the main reason,” “Furthermore,” and “In conclusion” help signal the stages of the argument. However, progression within the body is uneven: the first paragraph contains a long example with several ideas joined together, while the second paragraph repeats the danger claim without developing it. Some connections are also unclear, particularly the shift from a doctor prescribing medicine to the patient deciding to use alternatives. Use shorter, more clearly sequenced sentences and make each paragraph develop one distinct reason with explanation and evidence.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “alternative medicines,” “side effects,” “prescribes,” and “life threatening,” so the reader can follow the general argument. However, the range is limited and several word-choice, collocation, and spelling problems make the writing less precise. Examples include “speciallist,” “khnowledge,” “statitics,” and “changings”; “effect” is also used where “affect” is intended. Phrases such as “the actual disease remains its own place” and “provides another reason” are awkward or unclear. Build a more accurate set of expressions for discussing treatment and risk, and check spelling and collocations carefully. More precise wording would make your reasons easier to understand.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including a conditional idea beginning “if a doctor examines a patient” and a reason clause with “because.” However, the range is limited, and complex sentences are often faulty or difficult to follow. For example, “it can theat their lives” lacks a clear grammatical construction, while “One of the main reason why i consider this a negative development is that people do not have khnowledge like a specaillist doctor” has problems with number, sentence form, and article use. The long example sentence also joins many clauses without clear punctuation. Practise accurate subject–verb agreement, articles, and clause boundaries, and divide long sentences into shorter units. These changes will improve clarity as well as control.

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