Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

While some people think it is effective to accept a bad situation like unemployment or financial crisis, I believe it is more beneficial to try and improve such situations. I will discuss both these opinions, before concluding why I am in favor of the latter.

On the one hand, one who advocate that it is better to accept a bad situation believe that it will give them a sigh of relief and will hurt less. For Instance, one who is born in a financially challenged family will have limited chances of education and employment opportunities. Therefore, he should accept it and focus on other ways to provide bread and butter to his family rather than keep failing affecting his mental peace.

On the other hand, some believe that it is more effective to try different ways and improve your skills to succeed. Although you might get fail again, but trying again and thriving for your goal will provide a better life. It can also help you achieve your goals and get you out of your educational and financial hardships. For instance, famous scientist named as Graham Bell failed hundreds of times before inventing telephone. He was persistent and he did not stop on his failure; he kept on working on his weak areas and achieved his goal at the end.

In conclusion, although accepting a bad situation will provide a temporary relief, I believe by working on yourself and keep failing and improving will take you at a better place than before.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both views and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant, such as the mention of Graham Bell as an example of persistence. However, the development is somewhat limited. The arguments regarding 'accepting a bad situation' are a bit simplistic, and the essay could benefit from more depth in explaining the long-term implications of both approaches. The conclusion is clear, but the overall development of ideas is just sufficient to meet the requirements for a Band 6.0, as some points are slightly under-developed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'Therefore', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. For instance, the transition in the second paragraph between the idea of accepting a situation and the example provided is a bit abrupt. Overall, the progression of ideas is coherent, and paragraphing is used appropriately.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task. The student uses some topic-specific terms like 'unemployment', 'financial crisis', and 'hardships'. However, there are some awkward collocations and phrasing, such as 'one who advocate' (should be 'those who advocate') and 'provide bread and butter' (an idiom that is slightly informal for an academic essay). The range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey meaning, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band score. There are no major spelling errors that impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('one who advocate'), incorrect verb forms ('Although you might get fail again'), and awkward phrasing ('famous scientist named as Graham Bell'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the grammatical slips are noticeable throughout the text. These errors do not prevent understanding, but they do indicate a need for more consistent control over complex structures to reach a higher band.

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

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