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)
In this modern era, everyone does not get the job of their favourite work or a wealthy life. For that, you have to work hard. A number of individuals believe that if you work hard, bad days also go. For that, you have to compromise your sleep. Some people believe that they endorse the negative condition, moreover, other people believe that they put effort to enhance the context. For this, my opinion is given in the trial paragraph.
On the first hand, individuals argue that agreeing to detrimental conditions is the only option. They think that you have to live life according to the condition. Spend money according to your needs if you have a money shortage. Also, some jobs are boring, but to live a life, you have to do them. To improve the condition, they do not compromise with their comfortable lifestyle.
On the other hand, individuals believe that putting some effort to enhance the context is good. They try to improve their lifestyle. For that, they have to work hard, and they are ready for that. They are also ready to compromise their peaceful life. They believe that to improve the condition, hard work is crucial. Also, for money, you have to do an uncomfortable job. If you work hard and show your potential, then you definitely achieve a high-paid job. Then you improve your lifestyle. If you do not, then no cuts, no buts, no coconuts.
In conclusion, I agree with trying to improve the condition because if you do not try to enhance the condition, you do not have a comfortable life. Without accepting the bad condition, you should think and try about how you can improve that.
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 limited. For example, the arguments regarding 'accepting a bad situation' are somewhat repetitive and lack depth, relying on general statements rather than specific examples or logical expansion. The conclusion is also quite brief and does not fully synthesize the points made in the body paragraphs. To improve, you should aim to provide more concrete examples or deeper reasoning for why one might choose to accept or change a situation, rather than simply stating that it is 'good' or 'crucial'.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or slightly unnatural. Phrases like 'On the first hand' (which should be 'On the one hand') and 'For that' are used repetitively to start sentences, which hinders the flow. Additionally, some transitions between ideas are abrupt, such as the sudden inclusion of the idiom 'no cuts, no buts, no coconuts' in the third paragraph, which is inappropriate for an academic essay and disrupts the logical progression of the argument.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for higher bands. You rely on basic terms like 'bad', 'good', and 'work hard' throughout the text. There are also instances of awkward word choice, such as 'endorse the negative condition' and 'enhance the context', which do not accurately convey the intended meaning in this context. The use of informal or non-standard expressions like 'no cuts, no buts, no coconuts' is inappropriate for an academic writing task and negatively impacts the tone of the essay.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'everyone does not get'), incorrect preposition usage, and awkward phrasing (e.g., 'my opinion is given in the trial paragraph'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable. To reach a higher band, you should focus on improving sentence variety and ensuring that complex structures are used accurately, rather than relying on repetitive, simple sentence patterns.
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.