Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-01
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 today's world, many people suffer from bad conditions, such as displeased employment or lack of funds and advocates of this, argue that it is good to accept such situation. While others counter that its better to bring improvements in such conditions.
On the one hand, a portion of society believe that its best to accept of some bad situations such as discontented jobs and shortage in capital. Some problems cannot be fixed right away. Acceptance protects mental health during tough times. Because nowadays, its highly competitive to obtain a job and already having one is best even though it is not satisfying. For example, a recent study demonstrates how modern job pool is facing high competitiveness and lower desired employments.
On the other hand, others come up with their views, that is how it is better to attempt to enhance circumstances. Instead of working tirelessly for the something that is not loved. it is better to seek new opportunities or pursue entrepreneurship which can ultimately bring more capital and most important satisfaction. In addition, they can initiate to work on their personal growth such as building confidant personalities or learn new high paying skills. For instance, learning new skills open new doors which lead to better and fruitful life. That is why improvements are highly beneficial for humans.
In conclusion, after briefly and thoroughly examining both viewpoints, explaining why endurance is good, while others arguing why improvements are better than acceptance of such bad conditions. I believe that it is better to try to improve instead of wasting potential.
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 all parts of the prompt, discussing both viewpoints and providing a clear personal opinion in the conclusion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument for accepting bad situations is supported by a vague reference to a 'recent study' rather than a concrete, logical explanation. The points regarding personal growth and entrepreneurship are relevant but could be expanded with more specific examples to reach a higher band. The position is clear throughout, but the depth of analysis is consistent with a mid-range band score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In addition' are used to guide the reader. However, there are instances where the flow is slightly mechanical or awkward, such as the sentence fragment 'Instead of working tirelessly for the something that is not loved.' Additionally, the final sentence of the conclusion is grammatically disjointed, which slightly disrupts the overall progression of ideas.
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 collocations, such as 'pursue entrepreneurship' and 'fruitful life'. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and awkward phrasing, such as 'displeased employment' (instead of 'unsatisfactory employment') and 'shortage in capital' (instead of 'financial hardship'). These errors do not impede communication but demonstrate a limited range of sophisticated vocabulary.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, including missing articles ('the modern job pool'), incorrect verb forms ('others arguing why'), and punctuation issues. Several sentences are fragmented or lack proper subject-verb agreement, such as 'a portion of society believe' (should be 'believes'). These errors are noticeable and occur throughout the text, though they do not prevent the reader from understanding the writer's intended message.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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