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)
Without any doubt, society is divided into two groups as per the distict mindset of different people. Therefore, this has become a debatable issue whether few individuals believe it is a best to accept a bad situation such as job without passion or lack of funds or others think that there is a need for the improvement of situations. This essay will not only shed light on both the perceptions but also my opinion will also be elaborated in conclusion.
To commence with first notion, there are myriad things to be shared in its favour. First and foremost, some people who makes a daily routine about his work and rest of the things, they especially do not tend to make adjustments in their life. Secondly, these folks are happy in their life and accept their circumstances in spite of doing unsatisfactory jobs or having financial issues, they adapt this lifestyle and feel impossible to overcome from this situation. To cite an example, a man started working in factory for the financial stability, he works there in his entire life. Hence, it is difficult for him to leave everything and start from scratch.
Moving for the second argument of this debate, the prominent point is that youngsters hop from one job to another in order to find better opportunities, salaries and working environment. In addition, they do not feel scared from taking risk and try new opportunities while it has not only improve there living situations but also gave them a boost of confidence by gaining experience and new skills. To exemplify, most of the youth prove that a person who takes more risk, become more successful. As a result, it become beneficial for economy as well as improve people lives.
In conclusion, according to my perspective, individual should try to make their situations better by grabbing new opportunities. Although it is difficult for people to discover new prospects yet it is crucial to adapt new things and improve their lifestyle.
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 essay addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion in the conclusion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the argument for accepting a bad situation is supported by a rather vague example of a factory worker, which lacks depth. The second body paragraph regarding the benefits of taking risks is more relevant but could be further extended with more specific evidence. The introduction is slightly repetitive, and the prompt's requirement to discuss both views is met, but the analysis remains at a general level rather than exploring the nuances of the topic.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, each with a clear central topic. Cohesive devices such as 'To commence with', 'Secondly', and 'In addition' are used to guide the reader. However, there are instances where the flow is slightly mechanical or awkward, such as 'Moving for the second argument of this debate'. Additionally, some referencing is unclear, for example, the use of 'these folks' and 'this lifestyle' in the second paragraph, which could be more precisely linked to the previous sentence. Overall, the progression of ideas is coherent, but the use of cohesive devices could be more natural.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, such as 'myriad', 'prospects', and 'stability'. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'distict mindset' (distinct), 'it is a best to accept' (it is best), and 'it become beneficial' (it becomes). While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a limited range of vocabulary that prevents the essay from reaching a higher band score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('some people who makes', 'it become beneficial'), article misuse, and tense inconsistencies ('it has not only improve there living situations' should be 'it has not only improved their living situations'). Punctuation is generally functional, but the frequency of errors in basic grammar structures is noticeable. To improve, the student needs to focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and ensuring consistent verb forms in complex sentences.
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.