Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Some proponents maintain that one must accept the worst situation, such as a poor job or lack of money, while critics argue that we must push ourselves to improve these bad circumstances. I believe that we should never tolerate these bad times, rather we must tackle with these situations and overcome them as success does not lie in a comfort zone and improvement occur only when we tend to walk forward.

People who believe accepting the worst cases as a wise task claim that it is a great human skill to tolerate the worst. People accept that it is okay to fail sometimes, and some people believe that the entire world runs in the way that is decided by God, where there is nothing on our hands. Nevertheless, reality is not shaped by the sentiments. At the end of day, these thoughts leave us only with failure and an unhappy life.

Undoubtedly, if the situation was out of control of human beings like diseases and natural calamities, accepting the things would be crucial. However, if we compromise ourselves in aspects like education and employment, we will be left far behind others. To achieve our goals, we must be brave and active enough to escape from the present zone. So, accepting the scarcity of money never makes you rich, rather you must have a strong desire to seek for a job, and potential to convert the thoughts into action. For example, had Elon Musk accepted the bankruptcy, he would have never become the richest person in the world.

Hence, we must fight till the end to cut these negative shadows away, pushing ourselves towards the light of success and prosperity.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both perspectives and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant and generally well-developed, particularly the distinction between uncontrollable situations like natural disasters and controllable ones like career development. However, the development of the 'acceptance' viewpoint is somewhat superficial, relying on generalisations about 'fate' and 'God' rather than exploring the potential psychological benefits of acceptance (e.g., resilience or mindfulness). The argument is consistent throughout, and the conclusion effectively reinforces the writer's stance. To reach a higher band, the student should provide more nuanced analysis of why some people choose acceptance, rather than dismissing it entirely as a failure.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organised with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central focus, and the transition between the two viewpoints and the writer's opinion is smooth. Cohesive devices such as 'Nevertheless', 'Undoubtedly', and 'Hence' are used effectively to guide the reader. However, there are minor issues with referencing and flow; for instance, the phrase 'these bad times' in the introduction is slightly vague, and some sentences could be linked more tightly to improve the overall cohesion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different stages of the argument, contributing to a clear overall structure.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally appropriate and sufficient for the task. The student uses some effective collocations like 'natural calamities', 'negative shadows', and 'prosperity'. There are, however, some instances of slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'accepting the worst cases as a wise task' and 'nothing on our hands', which should be 'out of our control'. While the range is adequate to convey meaning clearly, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for higher bands. The student demonstrates a good grasp of topic-specific vocabulary, but more variety in synonyms and idiomatic expressions would enhance the lexical quality.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. The use of a conditional sentence ('had Elon Musk accepted...') is a strong feature that demonstrates control over complex grammar. There are some grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'improvement occur' (should be 'occurs') and 'tackle with these situations' (the verb 'tackle' is transitive and does not require 'with'). Punctuation is generally sound, though some sentences are slightly clunky. The majority of the sentences are error-free, and the errors present do not impede communication, which aligns with the criteria for a band 6.5 or 7.0.

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

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