Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-25
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)
People have different views about whether it is best to accept a bad situation such as unsatisfactory job or it is better to try and improve your situation. while there are valid arguments in favour of both perspectives. I personally believe that everyone has the right to find a good job and improve their life mainly because to fullfil their basic needs as well as save money for the future.
On the one hand, supporters of view that it is best to accept a bad situation argue that if you are doing a job, then try to focus on it instead of finding more oppurtunities, This is mainly because people think that, its just a waste of time . they believe that , this is our fate. As a result, you have to manage your whole life within your current earning. For example, If you are doing a job as a manager, then maybe this is your dream job. Understand this and focus on your work. Therefore, from this perspective, accept a bad situation can be seen as a reasonable approach.
On the other hand, those who claim that it is better to try and improved such situation belive that if they work and try hard, they will receive a better chance to improve their life .One reason of this is that, Improve your bad situation is totally on you. If you try hard and hard, you will succeed one day . Consquently, this approach has also postive impact on individuals.
Personally, i am more convinced about the view that , you have to try more untill you will not get a satisfactory job. This is largely because you are the only who can change your life. For instance, In your bad time , You are faced all the difficulties alone . Try to hard untill you dont received. This factor also reduce your regret level. Therefore, I believe that along with your current job, you have to try to change your occupation which give you a wealthy life.
In conlusion, both best to accept the situation or try to improve have their own merits. I personally believe that try and creates the change of personal developent is the more convincing approach because it helps you to understand the current situation as well as motivate you to try more.
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 argument and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited and repetitive. For instance, the argument for accepting a bad situation is underdeveloped, relying on the vague notion of 'fate' rather than exploring psychological or economic stability. Similarly, the argument for improvement is somewhat circular, stating that one should improve because they can improve. To reach a higher band, you should provide more concrete, nuanced examples—such as the long-term career benefits of upskilling versus the immediate security of a stable, albeit unsatisfactory, job. The position is clear, but the supporting arguments lack depth and analytical rigor.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use basic cohesive devices like 'On the one hand,' 'On the other hand,' and 'In conclusion' to signal shifts in the argument. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly inaccurate, such as 'Consquently, this approach has also postive impact.' Additionally, there are issues with punctuation and sentence structure that occasionally disrupt the flow, such as the misuse of commas and the fragmented nature of some sentences. Improving the variety and precision of your linking words would enhance the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. You rely on simple, repetitive phrasing (e.g., 'bad situation,' 'try hard,' 'improve your life'). There are also several spelling errors ('oppurtunities,' 'belive,' 'conlusion,' 'developent') and word-choice inaccuracies, such as 'wealthy life' instead of 'prosperous career' or 'financial stability.' While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of sophisticated collocations and the presence of spelling errors limit the score. Expanding your vocabulary to include more academic and topic-specific terms would be beneficial.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there is a high frequency of grammatical errors. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('this factor also reduce'), incorrect verb forms ('until you dont received'), and awkward phrasing ('you are the only who can change'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with unnecessary commas frequently interrupting the flow of sentences. While the errors do not completely impede communication, they are persistent and occur throughout the text. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction and proofreading for common errors like tense consistency and article usage.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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