Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-03

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)

Life is full of ups and downs. Sometimes things do not go as planned and sometimes we feel like the happiest man alive. There is no fixed template or formula the universe follows when providing you with such outcomes. Seldom it so happens that we experience a series of events that cause us to be melancholic or sad. True wisdom lies in accepting things for what they are and not complaining or hoping for pity. Although this is something we all have heard throughout our lives this is but partly correct. Sure understanding is good but acknowledging the problems and doing nothing is not. Though we cannot control what will happen but we can certainly control how they might. For instance, it is easier to cry that our grades are lacking but really difficult to work hard and study more. Regardless of what tragedy happens in our life we must learn from it and strive to improve so that we can avoid such happenings in the future. It doesn't matter if our job is terrible, we should still give our absolute best and hope to learn as much as we can. The entire idea pertaining to situations being good or bad heavily relies on our perception. A toxic work environment sounds bad but it teach us how to navigate people who can be difficult or greatly selfish at times. Being financially weak can enable us to be smart with our money and grateful for wealth, preventing any and every ridiculous lavishness. In life we have two options, either we can cry about shortcomings or mishaps or we can work to improve it in any way or prevent it in the future. When submerged in water it is simpler to do nothing and accept that drowning in imminent but with some effort, regardless of whether we can swim or not, even by moving out arms and legs can somehow help us out of the water.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the essay is written as a single block of text, which significantly hinders the development of a structured argument. While the ideas are relevant, they are somewhat repetitive and lack specific, well-developed examples. The discussion on 'accepting' versus 'improving' is present, but the lack of paragraphing makes it difficult to distinguish between the two viewpoints and the author's own stance. To reach a higher band, you should clearly separate the two perspectives into distinct paragraphs and provide more concrete, real-world examples to support your claims.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The most significant issue is the lack of paragraphing; the entire essay is one long paragraph. This makes the logical progression of ideas difficult to follow. While there are some cohesive devices used, such as 'For instance' and 'Regardless of', the overall structure is weak. The transition between the two viewpoints is abrupt, and the lack of clear paragraph breaks means the reader has to work harder to identify the shift in argument. To improve, you must use clear paragraphing to separate the introduction, the two viewpoints, and your conclusion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary, using terms like 'melancholic', 'perception', and 'imminent' effectively. There are some minor collocation issues, such as 'cry that our grades are lacking' (better: 'complain about our grades') and 'drowning in imminent' (should be 'drowning is imminent'). Despite these minor errors, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly and shows an attempt to use more sophisticated language. To improve, focus on ensuring that word choices are natural and grammatically accurate in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'Although this is something we all have heard... this is but partly correct.' However, there are several grammatical errors, including 'Seldom it so happens' (should be 'Seldom does it happen'), 'it teach us' (should be 'it teaches us'), and 'moving out arms and legs' (should be 'moving our arms and legs'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and consistent use of pronouns.

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