Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-19

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)

There is an ongoing debate whether the acceptance of unpleasant experiences forever or putting efforts to make required improvements hoping a better future, is a more feasible approach. This essay is an attempt to shed some light on both viewpoints before the interpretation of my opinion.

On the one hand, it seems a better choice to accept a bad situation due to certain factors. The most prominent one relates to the problems arising from making frequent changes. To put it another way, sometimes experience dissatisfaction from their current job but they continue it forcefully just because they know about the hardships that may have to face if they leave this job such as financial issues, efforts to find another job ,accessibility and convenience to reach at workplace and so on. All these predictable problems let them compromise and accept their misfortune. In addition to this, the problem of economic instability also makes them feel insecure whether they will be able to earn again if they try to leave a job and make any change to start a new startup. The terror of failure forces them in step back and just accept their bad fate.

On the other hand, the arguments of later notion are also considerable. Primarily, a hope seeking a secure future ahead is the biggest justification in this context. To put it simply, there are countless examples in the world of the successfull people who onced really found it hard to feed themselves once a day and now they are extremely rich thanks to their efforts that they put without worrying failure.

In conclusion, both the statements have their own justifications but I, personally support later one.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The essay addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. The first body paragraph discusses the reasons for accepting a bad situation, but the explanation is slightly repetitive. The second body paragraph, which discusses the alternative view, is significantly underdeveloped; it lacks specific examples or a deeper exploration of why improving a situation is beneficial, relying instead on a vague mention of 'successful people'. To reach a higher band, you need to expand your arguments with more detailed reasoning and concrete, illustrative examples rather than general statements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, and there is a logical progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'On the one hand', 'In addition to this', and 'In conclusion', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'the arguments of later notion are also considerable'. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear; for instance, 'sometimes experience dissatisfaction' lacks a clear subject. Improving the variety and natural flow of your linking words and ensuring that pronouns and references are precise will help improve your score in this criterion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, including phrases like 'ongoing debate', 'economic instability', and 'feasible approach'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'the terror of failure forces them in step back' (should be 'forces them to step back') and 'hope seeking a secure future' (should be 'the hope of a secure future'). Some vocabulary is used repetitively, and there are minor spelling errors like 'successfull' and 'onced'. To improve, focus on learning common collocations and using more precise academic vocabulary.

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 that occasionally impede the flow. Examples include 'whether the acceptance... is a more feasible approach' (the sentence structure is slightly clunky), 'sometimes experience dissatisfaction' (missing subject), and 'the arguments of later notion' (missing article). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma placement. To achieve a higher band, you should aim for more error-free sentences and ensure that your complex structures are grammatically accurate and punctuated correctly.

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

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