Currently there is a trend towards the use of alternative forms of medicine. However, at best these methods are ineffective, and at worst they may be dangerous. To what extent do you agree with this statement?
Sample Response
Alternative medicine is not new. It is accepted that it predatespre-dates conventional medicine and it is still used by many people all over the world. I am unconvinced that it is dangerous, and feel that both alternative and conventional medicine can be useful.
There are several reasons why the conventional medical community is often dismissive of alternatives. Firstly, there has been little scientific research into such medicinesmedicine, so there is a scarcity of evidence to support the claims made for their effectivenessclaims of their supporters. Furthermore, people often try such treatmentstreatment because of recommendations from friends, and therefore approach a practitionercome to the therapist with a very positive attitude, which may be part of the reason for recoverypart of the reason for the cure. Moreover, these therapies are usually only useful for long-term, chronic conditions. Acute medical problems, such as accidental injuriesinjury, often require more conventional methods.
On the other hand, there remain strong arguments for the use of alternative therapiesuse of alternatives. Despite the lack of scientific proof, there is substantiala lot of anecdotal evidence to suggest that these therapies work. In addition, far from being dangerous, they often have few or no side effects, so the worst outcome would be no change. One of the strongest arguments for the effectiveness of alternative therapies in the West is that, whilst conventional medicine is available without charge, many people are prepared to pay considerable sums for alternative treatmentspay considerable sums for alternatives. If they were entirely ineffectivetotally unhelpful, it would be surprising if this continued.
I strongly believe that conventional medicine and alternative therapies can and should coexist. They have different strengths, and can both be used effectively to target particular medical problems. The best situation would be for alternative therapies to be used to support and complement conventional medicine.
Why this response received Band 8.0
This essay presents a highly articulate and balanced response to the prompt, maintaining a clear position throughout. Ideas are developed logically with sophisticated vocabulary and a wide range of accurately controlled grammatical structures. To improve further, the response could incorporate a specific real-world example to illustrate the complementary role of alternative therapies.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The essay directly addresses all parts of the prompt, establishing a clear and nuanced position with well-developed supporting arguments.
Include a concrete real-world example to provide stronger empirical support for the main arguments.
Coherence and Cohesion
Information is organized logically across clear paragraphs with smooth cohesive transitions throughout the essay.
Vary cohesive devices slightly more to avoid relying on standard listing signals like 'Firstly' and 'Furthermore'.
Lexical Resource
A wide range of precise, context-appropriate vocabulary is used naturally and with high accuracy.
Incorporate a broader variety of sophisticated topic-specific collocations to further enhance lexical flexibility.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Grammatical structures are varied, flexible, and consistently accurate with virtually no errors.
Maintain this high level of accuracy while incorporating more complex passive or inverted sentence structures.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Currently there is a trend towards the use of alternative forms of medicine. However, at best these methods are ineffective, and at worst they may be dangerous. To what extent do you agree with this statement?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.