Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

The bad situation does not come by choice. It is an area where a person is pushed by certain circumstances. Nobody knows the time they will land in such a situation.

It is best to accept a bad situation only if one cannot see a tendency to improve it. For example, a person who cannot find a reputable job cannot remain unemployed for months at home. Everyone needs to pay their bills and support themselves, so they must accept a situation that helps them pay their bills and not their pride or ego. It is never a bad situation until you accept it , personal views and perspectives affects an individual more than the society.

Everyone wills to improve a bad situation and obviously everyone must try it. It could be improved with manifestation, belief in yourself, hardwork , blessings and prayers. In this place, willingness and interest in a particular area plays a role. For example, an individual with an interest being an entrepreneur will never be happy working for someone else. This manifestation or goal of becoming an entrepreneur is that will lead to success.

In my opinion , there is always a sucess waiting for the hardworking people. Bad situations lead to a stronger willing person waiting for that opportunity. Those experiences in bad situations changes a person mentally and physically. But one must not avoid a bad situation and keep working hard until situations improve financially or emotionally. The bad times always lead to good times.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You discuss both accepting a difficult situation and trying to improve it, and your final paragraph gives a clear preference for perseverance. The example of taking work to pay bills is relevant, but the first view is narrowed to accepting a situation only when improvement seems unlikely; the reasons for accepting circumstances are not explored much further. The second view relies mainly on general claims about hard work, belief and success, with little explanation of how these lead to practical improvement. The statement that “bad times always lead to good times” is also too absolute. The response contains 242 words, so it is 8 words below the 250-word minimum; the 8 words copied from the prompt are not counted. Develop each view with a more specific example and explanation.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a paragraph about acceptance, one about improvement, and a concluding opinion. This helps the reader identify the main stages of your argument. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes unclear, and several ideas are placed next to one another without showing their relationship. For instance, “manifestation, belief in yourself, hardwork, blessings and prayers” is a list rather than a developed sequence of reasons. The conclusion repeats ideas about hard work and bad times instead of drawing the two views together. Some linking is also awkward, as in “In this place,” and the reference in “This manifestation or goal … is that will lead to success” is difficult to follow. Use clearer transitions and connect each example explicitly to the point it supports.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “circumstances,” “unemployed,” “perspectives,” “entrepreneur” and “opportunity.” These choices show an attempt to discuss employment, personal outlook and ambition rather than relying only on very basic terms. However, the range is uneven, and several expressions are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “the bad situation does not come by choice,” “a stronger willing person,” and “an interest being an entrepreneur.” Spelling and word-form errors, including “sucess” and “hardwork,” also reduce accuracy. Some repeated wording—particularly “bad situation” and “improve”—limits variety. Aim for more precise collocations, such as “face difficult circumstances,” “a strong-willed person,” and “an interest in becoming an entrepreneur,” and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both short statements and longer sentences with subordinate clauses, for example, “It is best to accept a bad situation only if one cannot see a tendency to improve it.” This gives the response some structural variety, and the main message is generally understandable. However, errors occur frequently, including subject–verb agreement in “personal views and perspectives affects” and “Those experiences … changes,” and faulty constructions such as “This manifestation or goal … is that will lead to success.” There are also problems with articles and sentence punctuation, as in “an interest being an entrepreneur” and the space before the comma in “accept it ,”. Several sentences join ideas without clear grammatical links. Practise accurate agreement and complete clause structures, then proofread punctuation and sentence boundaries.

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