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)

It is considerable ongoing debate about whether an individual should manage their bad job and lack of money . Other argue that one should work for improving that type of situation. I firmly advocate the second one. As sometimes it is most difficult to change life's bad circumstances but one might work for a better life.

Accepting an unrewarding job may creates several problems for a person. The most significant issue is that it makes people frustrated, stressfull and dissapointed towards life and people ariound him. For example if a person may have feeling that his job is undesirable for him he may not work with full hearted which may loss the compney and lead to devastating challenges for everyone . He may not be give his full atention towards his reponsbilities as unsatisfactory job always give him an unpleasent experience.

On the other hand. living from hand to mouth is terrible in many forms. The primary challenges it creates make a person introvert, less confident and unhealthy in terms of physical and relationship vise. For example, a person who badly struggles to meet their basic needs may constantly worry about paying bills, buying food or supporting their family. As a result they may avoid social gatherings . Moreover, Financial difficulties may result in poor living conditions .For instance , people who have shortage of money may be unable to afford proper housing, nutritious food or basic health car which can result in poor living conditions.

In conclusion, while accepting difficult cirsumstances may provide temporary stability. I strongly believe that people should strive to improve their situation whenever possible

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.5

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. While you mention that an unsatisfactory job leads to frustration and financial struggle leads to social isolation, these points could be expanded with more specific, real-world examples rather than general statements. The introduction is a bit brief and could more clearly outline the two perspectives. To reach a higher band, ensure that each body paragraph fully explores the implications of the chosen viewpoint rather than just listing negative consequences. The conclusion is present but could be more robust in summarizing the main arguments presented in the body paragraphs.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the argument. You use some cohesive devices like 'On the other hand', 'For example', and 'Moreover'. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly repetitive. There are also instances where the flow between sentences is slightly disjointed, such as in the first paragraph where the transition from the debate to your opinion feels abrupt. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would enhance the overall coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'unrewarding', 'devastating challenges', and 'temporary stability'. However, there are several spelling errors ('stressfull', 'dissapointed', 'ariound', 'reponsbilities', 'cirsumstances') and some awkward collocations ('work for improving', 'relationship vise'). These errors occasionally distract the reader, though they do not prevent the meaning from being understood. To improve, focus on mastering the spelling of common academic words and pay closer attention to how words are typically paired together in English (collocations).

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement ('job may creates', 'job always give') and article usage. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some sentences ending abruptly or having unnecessary spaces before periods. While these errors are noticeable, they rarely impede communication. To achieve a higher score, focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy, specifically verb forms and pluralization, and try to incorporate a wider variety of complex structures with more precision.

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