Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-31
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)
Some human believe that it is utmost good to realize a bad circumstances, such as insatiable work or lack of money. Whereas some concludes that it is good to try and handle such situations. There is seen the people are criticizing the jobs whereas some taking it as a part of improvement and living.
In the one hand, employee should have to accept the reality of the job provided by their employer and have to satisfy themselves with the money they earned. They need to expense their hard earned money in limited manner. For example, Mr. Johnson working as a clerk at ABC company. He is getting good pay according to market standards but his expenses is more, so for it he blames the company and getting shortage of money every time. He must have to manage that money in systematic way that savings too can be done from the salary he gets. He has to accept his salary and have to work for his living. And also some people better accept their bad situation instead of taking other actions to feed their family members who is surviving with that money.
On the other hand, other people argued that it is better to try and improve their situations from the bad ones. It is advised that it is better to try and improve circumstances of theirs with their hardwork and dedication. They have to upskills themselves and have to take relevant trainings and certifications so that he can make themselves at a better position so later he can't have to feel guilt. They can look for others well paid jobs after getting skilled which is a great try for improving their situations. For example, if Mr. Johnson incase of accepting a bad situation, upskilling himself for a year, he might get a good situation in the company else he might get offer from other companies as well.
In conclusion, people are tend to believe themselves and their skills. Some people have to accept a bad situation to earn money to feed to their family members and himself. But it is also to be noted that they must have to do hardwork for making themselves skilled through different trainings and certifications which will ultimately change their life and circumstances as well.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a personal opinion, meeting the basic requirements of the task. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. The first body paragraph focuses heavily on the example of 'Mr. Johnson' rather than exploring the broader philosophical reasons why some people choose to accept their situation. The second body paragraph is more effective in discussing the benefits of self-improvement, but the overall position remains slightly blurred. To reach a higher band, ensure that each paragraph focuses on a clear, distinct argument supported by logical reasoning rather than relying on a single, repetitive narrative example.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas from the introduction to the conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'In the one hand' (which should be 'On the one hand') and 'In conclusion'. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'Whereas some concludes' and 'For example, Mr. Johnson incase of accepting'. The referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly in the conclusion where the pronoun usage becomes repetitive. Improving the variety and accuracy of linking words would help the flow of the essay significantly.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but there are several instances of word-choice errors and non-standard collocations. For example, 'insatiable work' is used instead of 'unsatisfactory work', and 'realize a bad circumstances' is grammatically incorrect. Phrases like 'expense their hard earned money in limited manner' are awkward. While the student attempts to use more academic vocabulary like 'upskills' and 'certifications', the lack of precision in word choice limits the score. A wider range of precise, topic-specific vocabulary is needed to move into the higher bands.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('some concludes', 'people are tend to'), incorrect article usage, and awkward phrasing ('he can make themselves at a better position'). There are also issues with verb tense consistency and pluralization. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic sentence construction prevents a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and correct preposition usage would be highly beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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