Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-10

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 5.5)

Several individuals believe that it is optimal to accept a terrible situation, for instance awfull workplace or being broke. Opponents argue that it is better to work and improve situations like these. This has become a heated argument in this contemporary society. Their perspective will be discussed in this essay. In conclusion i will place my opinion.

To begin with, Why individuals consider these substandard situations should be accepted. The reason to that is these people may be dissapointed or

they have not tried yet. Most individuals work hard day and night in order to acheive their dream and accomplish their goal. Despite doing everything somehow they can not get what they want. This make them to lose their heart

in putting their efforts again in addition the other who hav not tried yet they think we will fail. When the have assumed they are going to fail they evantually fail.

In contrast opponents believe we should try to alter these situations in our favor. They believe we get what we work for and staying in the same place for the rest of our life only a coward can do such a thing. According to research

there are only one percent of individuals who have worked in addition from zero they have started and now they have what they want.

As far as i am concerned an individuals should be deligent. Staying in places where you are not respected or staying in poverty will make people lose their identity .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both views and provides an opinion, but the development is limited. While you identify the two sides of the argument, the supporting points are underdeveloped and lack specific examples or logical depth. For instance, the discussion on why people accept bad situations is vague, and the argument for change relies on a general claim about 'one percent of individuals' without clear explanation. To improve, ensure each paragraph has a clear topic sentence followed by detailed reasoning and a concrete example. Your position is stated at the end, but it would be more effective to state it clearly in the introduction and maintain it consistently throughout the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. The transition between ideas is often abrupt, and the use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes mechanical. For example, the phrase 'The reason to that is' is grammatically awkward and does not effectively link the previous sentence to the explanation. Additionally, the concluding paragraph is very brief and does not effectively summarise the main points or reinforce your position. Using a wider range of linking words (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'nevertheless') would help improve the flow and clarity of your arguments.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive. There are several spelling errors, such as 'awfull', 'dissapointed', 'acheive', 'evantually', and 'deligent', which occasionally distract the reader. You rely on basic vocabulary and struggle to use more sophisticated or precise terms. To reach a higher band, you should focus on learning collocations and using a more varied range of vocabulary related to the topic of work and personal ambition. For instance, instead of 'being broke', you could use 'financial hardship' or 'economic instability'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including issues with subject-verb agreement ('This make them', 'there are only one percent'), article usage, and sentence structure. Many sentences are fragmented or lack proper punctuation, which hinders readability. While you attempt some complex structures, they are often inaccurate. For example, 'the other who hav not tried yet they think we will fail' is confusing and grammatically incorrect. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for common errors like verb tense consistency and pluralisation would significantly improve your score.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.