Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-21

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)

Many individuals consider acceptance the best approach while dealing with difficult circumstances like unfulfilling job or financial hardship, while others argue that people should take steps to improve their situation. Although certain situations may sometimes be practical, I believe that making an effort to improve is generally beneficial.

Those who prefer to accept difficult situations argue that it is the practical way to deal with it. The main reason being the fear of future outcome. Many people choose to stay in a bad career or face financial hardship because they're afraid of losing what they already have without a proper safety net. They believe staying in a unsatisfactory job is much better than staying unemployed for months.

On the other hand, proponents who think it is better to take steps to improve these circumstances believe so because they think overall well-being to be of utmost importance. Staying in a unfulfilling job or financial difficulties have a negative impact on our overall mental and physical health. For instance, doing a job that a person enjoys can bring them a sense of fulfillment as well as help them to perform better. And improving financial situation may result in the person being able to fulfill most of their basic needs as well as help them grow in different ways. I believe this argument is more convincing because people who are satisfied with their job and have no major financial burden have been found to be more productive in work as well as being seen as an outgoing person. These category of people also tend to focus on various hobbies they might have keeping their physical and mental health in good condition.

In hindsight, although staying in a unfulfilling job or financial hardship may help some people, I believe that improving such conditions is more beneficial as it has a person might perform better in their job as well as develop a more positive outlook to life.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both views and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant, though some development is slightly superficial. For instance, the argument regarding the 'fear of future outcome' is a good point, but it could have been expanded with more specific examples beyond just the fear of unemployment. The position is consistent throughout the essay, and the conclusion effectively summarizes the stance. To reach a higher band, ensure that each supporting point is fully explored with more depth and specific, illustrative examples rather than general statements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two viewpoints. Cohesive devices such as 'On the other hand', 'For instance', and 'In hindsight' are used to guide the reader through the argument. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. For example, the transition in the third paragraph between the benefits of a good job and the mention of hobbies feels a bit abrupt. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate and allows for clear communication. There is an attempt to use topic-specific language like 'financial hardship', 'unfulfilling job', and 'proponents'. However, there are some repetitive word choices, such as the repeated use of 'unfulfilling job' and 'financial hardship'. There are also minor errors in collocation, such as 'These category of people', which should be 'This category of people'. To improve, you should aim for a wider range of synonyms and more sophisticated collocations to demonstrate greater lexical flexibility.

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 several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. For example, 'The main reason being the fear of future outcome' is a sentence fragment. Additionally, there are issues with articles and subject-verb agreement, such as 'improving financial situation' (needs 'an') and 'as it has a person might perform better' (which is syntactically confused). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy would be beneficial.

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

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