Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-11
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)
While many people think that acceptance is the best way out of poor life conditions, I agree with those who tell that it is worth to change the situation, because bad situation cannot be changed by itself and a risk always worth time and efforts and people should not be afraid of it.
On the one hand, many people believe that if they are not satisfied by their life conditions, they cannot change them. Individuals often do not believe they can do anything, but it is not true. The true is that many people go out from the vicious circle making only one decision, despite the fear of changes, and make their life better. For example, the main key of treating various addictions is to change the surroundings. The large number of people who addicted to anything and do not believe they can change their life just break the relationships with people who leaded them to this life and become free and happy.
On the other hand, there is a large number of people who think the every life situation can be improved and the only thing an individual should do is to take a small risk. I agree with these people, because I suppose that risks which people are afraid are often not as big as they think, but can give many benefits. The entrepreneurship is a very demonstrative example - many people who are not satisfied by their current job become entrepreneurs and start working for themselves. Taking risks, they improve their life conditions and start do those things they want to.
In conclusion, while many people do not believe in improving their life conditions by themselves, I strongly agree with those who think they can change anything by taking some risks.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| 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, meeting the requirements of the prompt. The ideas are relevant, such as the mention of entrepreneurship and addiction recovery. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the example regarding addiction is a bit tangential and could have been more directly linked to the concept of 'improving a bad situation' in a professional or financial context. The position is consistent throughout, but the supporting arguments would benefit from more depth and specific detail to reach a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two viewpoints. Cohesive devices are present, such as 'On the one hand' and 'In conclusion', though some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the connection between sentences within paragraphs could be smoother. For example, the transition from the general statement about life conditions to the specific example of addiction in the second paragraph is slightly abrupt.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'vicious circle' and 'demonstrative example'. However, there are instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'tell that it is worth to change' (should be 'say that it is worth changing') and 'the main key of treating' (should be 'a key aspect of treating'). These errors do not impede communication, but they limit the score to the 6.0 range.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with verb forms and articles, such as 'bad situation cannot be changed' (needs an article), 'people who addicted' (should be 'people who are addicted'), and 'start do those things' (should be 'start doing those things'). These errors are noticeable but do not prevent the reader from understanding the message. To improve, the student should focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of gerunds and infinitives.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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