Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

While some people argue that it is ideal to accept a bad situation, such as an unwanted job or financial crisis, others believe that it best to try and tackle these challenges. I firmly believe that it is more sensible to take on these hurdles as it prevents old age regret, and it helps individuals hone their skills in the process.

The advocates of accepting bad situation tend to have two misconceptions. From their perspective, the act of attempting at changing anything about someone's life is considered a gamble which could lead to uncalculated results. For example, an employee who is not satisfied with their current job so they decided to quit and launch their own business. However, business success is not guaranteed

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response is significantly under-length, containing only 123 words against the 250-word requirement. Consequently, the task is only partially addressed. While you introduce both views and state a clear position, the development of ideas is severely curtailed. You begin to discuss the perspective of those who accept bad situations, but the essay ends abruptly before you can fully explore the opposing view or provide a comprehensive conclusion. To improve, you must expand your arguments with specific examples and ensure you address all parts of the prompt thoroughly. The current brevity prevents a higher score as the response remains incomplete.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay shows a basic attempt at logical organization. You use a clear introduction and start a second paragraph, which helps the reader follow the initial structure. However, because the text is incomplete, there is no overall progression or conclusion. Cohesive devices are used sparingly, such as 'However' and 'For example', but the lack of a full essay makes it difficult to assess your ability to manage cohesion across a longer text. To improve, focus on developing each paragraph with supporting sentences and using a wider variety of linking words to connect ideas more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally appropriate for the task, with phrases like 'financial crisis', 'tackle these challenges', and 'uncalculated results' demonstrating a reasonable range. However, there are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'attempting at changing' (should be 'attempting to change') and 'accept bad situation' (missing an article: 'a bad situation'). The range is limited by the short length of the response. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise academic collocations and ensure consistent accuracy in word formation and article usage.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an ability to use complex sentence structures, such as the opening 'While' clause. However, there are several grammatical slips, including 'it best to try' (missing 'is') and 'so they decided' (which creates a run-on or awkward structure). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to affect the overall fluency. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and ensuring that complex sentences are punctuated correctly. Increasing the length of your writing will also allow you to demonstrate a wider range of grammatical structures more consistently.

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

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