Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-23
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)
In the modern world, some individuals believe that having a difficult situation such as unrewarding job or financial crisis people can accept their destiny. Others believe that try for hard work can change their destination definitely. This issue has become increasingly common and has attracted significant public attention. It has become a topic of widespread debate due to its impact on individuals and society. We will discuss both sides and extract the suitable opinion on the basis of arguments provided.
To commence, it is believed that dedication and motivation can change several lives. In other words, some individuals are also facing these issues and they changed their path according to their goal and after some time they achieved success and accomplish their goals. For example, the founder of KFC, he was 52 years old and after several failures in taste and financial terms, he was successful after 12 years and it is believed that and line stated by owner aiming goal is key to the success. Hence, it can be beneficial for individuals and society in the long term.
Furthermore, another reason is why I believe is that accepting your destiny harm in the long term. This is because it causes several mental health problems and financial crisis is always reminder for failure. Moreover, this can be converted into anxiety and depression. In addition, when these types of people working in an unsatisfactory job, so their output will not be good and that's cause them to lose their job in the long term.
In my opinion, although accepting a difficult situation can provide temporary stability, I believe that people should try to improve their circumstances through hard work and determination.
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 response addresses both sides of the prompt and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While the example of the KFC founder is relevant, the explanation of why some people choose to accept a bad situation is underdeveloped; the essay focuses more on the negative consequences of acceptance rather than the reasoning behind why someone might choose that path. The introduction is slightly repetitive, and the conclusion is very brief. To reach a higher band, ensure that both viewpoints are explored with equal depth and that the arguments are fully extended with more nuanced reasoning.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, and there is a logical progression of ideas. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'To commence', 'Furthermore', and 'In addition', though some transitions feel a bit mechanical or slightly misused, such as 'another reason is why I believe is that'. The referencing is generally clear, but the flow between sentences could be improved to make the connections feel more natural. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall structure follows the standard essay format, which helps the reader follow the argument despite some minor lapses in cohesion.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'destiny' and 'unrewarding', but the range is somewhat limited. There are also some instances of awkward word choice and collocation, such as 'try for hard work' instead of 'striving' or 'working hard', and 'financial crisis is always reminder for failure'. While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for a more precise and varied vocabulary to reach the next band level.
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 issues with subject-verb agreement ('financial crisis is always reminder'), missing articles, and awkward phrasing ('when these types of people working in an unsatisfactory job, so their output will not be good'). While the meaning is generally clear, these errors are noticeable and occur regularly. To improve, focus on sentence construction, specifically ensuring that complex sentences are punctuated correctly and that verb forms are consistent.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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