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)
Currently world is divided in two beliefs, some say it is good to accept a bad situation. However, other are convinced thriving during such situation is better which will improve circumstances. Let us examine both beliefs before reaching a concrete decision.
A person doesn’t have any control over situation coming over to them, it can be a bad situation, like unemployment, financial condition or relationship situation. It is only our part to accept such situation and carry on with life. Accepting bad situation will provide mantal stability to work or live with it and it will pass one day. We should focus on things that mater most and gives happiness at that moment.
It is worth noting a bad situation will pass eventually, nothing is permanent but it doesn’t mean not doing anything to improve that situation. Ups and downs are part of life just sitting and accepting bad situation wont help at all, it is ‘trying to make situation better’ that makes situation despair. A will to make current situation better in future. Giving everything you got to improve bad situation matters most.
In my opinion, bad situation won’t despair until person himself try and improve such situation.
In conclusion, good and bad situations are part of life and facing them head on to improve such situation will make a drastic change. Just accepting bad situation is first half of the solution, next half is to fight the situation with all they got in them. Trying for best outcome is the only thing on person’s hand so When life gives you lemans make lemonade out of them.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument for accepting a situation is brief and lacks concrete examples, relying on general statements like 'it will pass one day.' The second body paragraph attempts to contrast this but suffers from unclear phrasing, such as 'makes situation despair.' While the task is addressed, the supporting arguments lack depth and the logical progression of ideas is hindered by imprecise language, which prevents the response from reaching a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the flow between and within them is often mechanical. The use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes inaccurate, such as the transition 'It is worth noting a bad situation will pass eventually, nothing is permanent but it doesn’t mean not doing anything.' The referencing is occasionally unclear, and the logical progression is interrupted by awkward sentence structures. While the overall arrangement is coherent enough to follow the writer's intent, the lack of sophisticated linking words and the repetitive nature of the sentence starters limit the score.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are several instances of word-choice errors or awkward collocations, such as 'mantal stability' (mental), 'things that mater most' (matter), and 'makes situation despair' (which is used incorrectly). The phrase 'When life gives you lemans' contains a spelling error ('lemons'). While the student attempts to use some topic-specific vocabulary, the range is limited, and the errors occasionally draw attention, though they do not fully impede communication.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there is a high frequency of grammatical errors. Common issues include missing articles ('Currently world is divided'), subject-verb agreement errors ('some say it is good', 'other are convinced'), and punctuation mistakes. The sentence 'A will to make current situation better in future' is a fragment. While the meaning is generally clear, the persistent errors in basic grammar and sentence construction prevent the response from achieving a higher band, as the control over complex structures is inconsistent.
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