Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
Some individuals believe that it is fine to face a worse situation, such as an unsatisfactory job or shortage of money. While others argue that it is better to try and improve such harsh situations. In this essay I will discuss both views regarding employment and limited resources.
On the one hand, some people nowadays feel free and embrace bad situations due to the unsatisfied job or less amount of money. However, I think that one should not rely on a job which did not suit them because people spend a whole life serving unsatisfied job.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0
The response is significantly under the required word count of 250 words, reaching only 96 words. Consequently, the task is not fully addressed. The essay fails to discuss both views in any meaningful depth and does not provide a clear, supported opinion. The ideas presented are extremely limited and under-developed, lacking the necessary examples or reasoning required for an academic task. Because the response is so brief, it cannot meet the requirements for a higher band score, as it does not develop the argument or address the prompt's complexity.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
While the essay attempts to use basic cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand' and 'However', the overall structure is severely limited by the lack of content. There is no clear paragraphing beyond a brief introduction and a single, underdeveloped body paragraph. The progression of ideas is stunted because the essay ends abruptly. To improve, you must ensure each point is logically sequenced and supported by a full paragraph, using a wider range of cohesive devices to link your arguments effectively.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'worse situation', 'unsatisfied job', and 'less amount of money' are functional but lack the precision and variety expected at higher levels. There is little evidence of less common lexical items or idiomatic language. To improve, you should focus on using more precise collocations and academic vocabulary related to the topic, such as 'financial hardship', 'career dissatisfaction', or 'proactive measures'. The current range is sufficient for basic communication but is too limited for an academic essay.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains several grammatical errors that hinder clarity. For example, 'face a worse situation' is awkward, and 'a job which did not suit them' contains a tense inconsistency. The sentence 'While others argue that it is better to try and improve such harsh situations' is a sentence fragment. The range of structures is very limited, relying mostly on simple sentences. To improve, you need to demonstrate control over a wider variety of complex sentence structures and ensure subject-verb agreement and tense consistency throughout your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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