Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-04

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)

Work harder is necessary for overcome the bad situation. Some people believe that it is good to accept the bad situation, like unsatisfactory job or the lack of money and the some people argue that is better to try and improve such situations.

i will discuss both views below.

Firstly, some people accept the bad situation. They changed himself according to their circumstances. They feel comfortable in any situation. If they easily get job which is not according to their education status but they accept it and notwork harder for better job opportunities. Moreover, if they face the shortage of money they managed everything in this money. They do not try something to improve the situation. They lesser their needs. They always prefer to live in comfort zone.

Secondly, some people argue and try to improve the bad situation. They prefer to live in good situation such people work harder to overcome the situation. They always try to find the better job opportunities which meet his education standard. Additionally, if these people face the lack of money they not feel the helpless. They always remain ambitious to and find the better way to get the money.

To, conclude within my opinion, we should always try better for living good life. In the era competition become very tough to live better life. We should not be satisfy on lower standard job or on the lack of money. We should live the life in better way. We should always argue that is better to try and improve the bad circumstances.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion in the conclusion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited and repetitive. For example, the explanation of why people accept bad situations is restricted to 'living in a comfort zone' and 'lessening needs,' while the argument for improvement is similarly brief. To achieve a higher band, you should provide more specific, real-world examples or deeper analysis of the consequences of these choices. The ideas are relevant, but they lack the depth required for a higher score, as the arguments remain at a surface level throughout the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use basic cohesive devices like 'Firstly,' 'Secondly,' and 'To conclude' to signal transitions. However, the flow between sentences within paragraphs is sometimes mechanical or disjointed. For instance, the transition 'They changed himself according to their circumstances' is grammatically awkward and disrupts the logical progression. Additionally, the use of referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the pronoun usage in the second paragraph. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would significantly enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it is quite repetitive and lacks precision. You frequently use basic terms like 'bad situation,' 'good situation,' and 'work harder.' There is an attempt to use some topic-specific vocabulary, but it is often used incorrectly or in a limited way, such as 'education status' instead of 'educational qualifications' or 'lesser their needs' instead of 'lower their expectations.' To improve, focus on learning collocations and more sophisticated synonyms for common words to demonstrate a wider range of vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'Work harder is necessary'), incorrect pronoun usage (e.g., 'They changed himself'), and missing articles or prepositions. There are also errors in word order and sentence construction, such as 'they not feel the helpless.' While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. You should focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and article usage.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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