Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-10

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people believe that it is best to accept a bad situation, such as an unsatisfactory job or shortage of money. Others argue that it is better to try and improve such situations.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

A majority of people believe that accepting a diffiicult situation is the best way to deal with it and some strongly argue that focusing on how to change the situation rather then sulking in agony, is the only way ahead. While both prespectives have their own merits, i believe that in order to move forward a person has to work hard to get out of situation even if it looks like a dead end.This essay will discuss both view points before explaining my position.

On one hand, when people face an unexpected situation in life their mind suddenly jumps on extremely worst outcomes.The main reason for that is our body is designed to focus on negatives, a term to express this is called negative bias. For instance, i someone had an accident and they cant move their leg they will automatically think that they will never be able to walk again. Although in most cases this is the worst case scenario. So people usually accet any bad situation mainly due to crippling fear resulting in hopelessness.

On the other hand, the ability to have the courage to not give up and giving your best, has allowed alot of people to not just change their own lives but the lives generations after them. An intresting example of that would be of my father who was born and raised in an extremely poor enviroment but instead of accepting his fate he worked really hard. He had to take up odd jobs and had to move into a foriegn country. Consequently, allowing me and my siblings to get best of education and a good lifstyle.

To conclude, accepting a situation can be a temporary solution but for a consistent peace fighting the challanges and keep going is mandatory.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both views and state a clear preference for trying to improve difficult circumstances, particularly in the introduction and conclusion. The examples—the accident scenario and your father’s experience—are relevant and help explain why people may accept hardship and how effort can change outcomes. However, the first view is explained mainly through fear and negative thinking, without considering when acceptance might be sensible or beneficial. The second view is supported by one personal example, but the link between persistence and improving a situation could be explained more fully. Your position is present, though the discussion is not equally developed across the task. To strengthen the response, explain the merits and limitations of each view more explicitly and connect each example to the argument it illustrates.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. Signposts such as “On one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “To conclude” make the progression easy to follow. The examples are placed in the relevant body paragraphs, and the reader can understand the main line of argument. Some connections are less smooth, however. The sentence beginning “Although in most cases…” is incomplete and its relationship to the preceding example is unclear. The conclusion also introduces “temporary solution” and “consistent peace” without fully linking these ideas to the discussion. Use complete transitions between claims and examples, and make references such as “this” or “such a situation” precise.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a range of relevant vocabulary, including “negative bias,” “crippling fear,” “fate,” and “odd jobs,” which helps communicate the topic and gives the examples some specificity. Meaning is generally understandable, but spelling errors and imprecise or unnatural combinations are noticeable, including “diffiicult,” “prespectives,” “accet,” and “best of education.” Some expressions are also informal or unclear for an academic essay, such as “sulking in agony” and “dead end.” Aim for accurate spelling and more natural collocations, and choose wording that expresses the intended idea precisely. For example, “a difficult situation” and “access to a good education” would be clearer and more appropriate in this context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and complex structures, including a contrast clause beginning “While both perspectives…” and a cause-and-effect sentence beginning “Consequently.” These attempts show some range, and the main ideas can usually be followed. However, several sentences have grammatical problems that make parts of the argument less clear. “Although in most cases this is the worst case scenario” is a fragment, while “the ability to have the courage to not give up and giving your best, has allowed” mixes forms and has faulty agreement. There are also errors with articles, pronouns, and sentence boundaries, as in “get out of situation” and “dead end.This essay.” Check that each sentence has a complete main clause, keep parallel forms consistent, and proofread punctuation.

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