Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-12

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)

Many people argue that it is wise to accept unsatisfactory job or shortage of money, while other believe that it is necessary to try their best to improve their lives in terms of jobs or money.I believe people should keep working hard because only hard work can help them to overcome the difficulties in life, although luck plays a big factor too.

On the one hand, it is not easy for people to hold onto any unsatisfied profession, but they have to do it just to support their families and children. For instance, in many families there's only one working person and the whole family depends on their earning. So, if he or she quits the job then whole family will struggle and they may even starve. Besides, people who born in a poor family they don't have enough quality to demand for high paying jobs. As a result, they remain happy with small amount of money they earn. Without having any other option to support the family, they decide to carry out their work in an unsuitable environment.

On the other hand, hardwork can improve the economic condition of people's lives, although it's not guranteed that hardwork will bring success, but it helps to attract attention of employers who values hardwork. As a result, few people might even be able to improve their situtions. Furthermore, when a person works hard he gains self confidence and gives him a belief that he can overcome his bad situation. For example, Robert Bruce, after defeated six times in war against napolean, won the battle in his seventh time which indicates hardwork and perseverance can bring success. However, hardwork is not the only one thing, people need luck and proper resources too, otherwise people will lose motivation to workhard when they face any failure.

In conclusion, people often accept their bad situation due to the responsibilities they have to perform towards their family despite that I believe people should always put their best effort to enjoy a beautiful life.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You discuss both views and state a clear preference for trying to improve one’s circumstances, while acknowledging that luck and resources matter. The first body paragraph gives a relevant reason for accepting a poor job: a family may depend on one person’s income. The second explains possible benefits of effort, including confidence and better employment prospects. However, some points are only partly developed. For example, the claim that people from poor families lack the “quality” to seek better-paid work is unclear and needs explanation or a more precise example. The Robert Bruce example also needs a clearer connection to the situation in the question. Develop these ideas more fully and make the comparison between accepting and improving circumstances more explicit.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: the introduction presents the issue and your view, the body paragraphs address each side, and the conclusion restates your position. Signposting such as “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” helps readers follow the structure. Within paragraphs, however, some links feel mechanical, and the relationship between ideas is not always clear. In the second body paragraph, the move from hard work attracting employers to self-confidence and then to the historical example could be connected more smoothly. The final sentence also combines family responsibilities and your opinion without clearly showing how they relate. Use clearer references and transitions that explain the logic between points, rather than relying mainly on standard linking phrases.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “unsatisfactory job,” “economic condition,” “self confidence,” and “perseverance.” There are also attempts at more specific expressions, such as “high paying jobs” and “unsuitable environment.” However, noticeable word-choice, collocation, and spelling problems reduce precision. For example, “unsatisfied profession” is not a natural way to describe a job someone dislikes, and “people who born in a poor family” is an awkward expression. “Hardwork,” “guranteed,” and “situtions” are misspelled or incorrectly formed. Aim for more natural collocations and check spelling carefully; this will make your meaning clearer and help you express the argument with greater precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including clauses with “although,” “if,” and “when,” and most of the argument remains understandable. However, errors in sentence structure, agreement, articles, and verb forms occur across the response. For example, “other believe” needs subject–verb agreement, while “people who born” is missing an auxiliary verb. The sentence beginning “although it’s not guaranteed” is awkwardly constructed because it combines “although” with “but.” There are also missing articles and punctuation problems, such as the run-on spacing after “money.” Practise building complex sentences with one clear main clause and check agreement and articles during editing. Greater control of these patterns would make the writing easier to read.

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