Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-20

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)

Dealing with the bad situation is always difficult for any individual. Whether one wants to accept the same or take some action to improve it all depends on the one, who facing it. In this essay i will discuss both the point of views that one should accept the situation or try to improve it.

Some people believes that acceptance is the key characteristics of life, that anyone should have it. Everyone should learn to accept the things which they receive or the situation which they faced, it can be good or bad or even worst. The main reason behind the acceptance is that, if we do not accept the situation, we never get satisfaction from our life or our work or what we are and always run for something extra, which may be not possible to receive. The competition for getting better situation, may sometime leads to even worst condition than the current one.

However, other argues that it is better to try for getting something better. Everyone deserves the best of all and do not compromise with less. That huger to get better or more in the life should be there. If we do not even try, then at the end we will blame our luck or person or situation. If we try and go not get what we want, it is better, Atleast we have the satisfaction that we try our best. There is proverb that" If you work hard to get something better, God also will help you. But if you don't even try, you deserve a less"

I also believe that, accepting the situation without even trying to get better version of it is wrong. I heard somewhere that "If you born in poor house, it is not your fault. But if you die in the poor house, it is definitely your fault."

All together it can be ascertained that one should try to improve the bad situation, but it does not mean that never stop by trying. After one stage, situation should be accepted,

AI examiner evaluation

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 somewhat superficial. For instance, the argument for acceptance is based on the idea of 'satisfaction,' but this is not fully explored or supported with concrete examples. Similarly, the argument for improvement relies on general statements rather than specific, well-developed illustrations. The conclusion is abrupt and slightly contradictory, as it suggests one should try to improve but then says one should eventually stop. To reach a higher band, you need to extend your ideas with more depth and ensure your conclusion aligns logically with your main body paragraphs.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the flow of ideas. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'All together it can be ascertained that' or 'I heard somewhere that'. The transition between the two viewpoints is clear, but the internal logic within paragraphs could be tighter. Some sentences feel disconnected, and the referencing (e.g., 'the same' in the introduction) is occasionally imprecise. Improving the variety and naturalness of your linking words and phrases would significantly enhance the flow of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. There are several instances of word-choice errors and non-standard collocations, such as 'key characteristics of life' instead of 'key to life' or 'huger to get better' instead of 'hunger to improve'. You rely on basic vocabulary and occasionally struggle to express more complex concepts accurately. To improve, focus on learning collocations and using more sophisticated synonyms for common words like 'bad' or 'try'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede readability. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('Some people believes', 'other argues'), article usage ('in the poor house'), and punctuation errors. While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors in basic grammar prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. You should focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and ensuring that your complex sentences are constructed accurately without missing articles or incorrect verb forms.

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.