Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-03
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)
Many citizens think that unwilling jobs and low salary are such worst conditions in which we should just accept them. On the other hand people argue that we should handle these conditions wisely and work hard for improving it. In this essay I will discuss both of views and present my opinion.
Unemployment , low salary and high budget are such conditions from which most of the people are running in their lives. Consequently, those people who think that we should just accept these conditions may be right to some extent. But according to my school of thought if we accept them and would not try to solve them then we will not be able to overcome these situations and suffer from more and more problems.
However other people believe that when we face the bad conditions in our life then we should not lose our heart that we can't solve these problems. Rather we should put all of our efforts to overcome these problems. The worst reality of this world is that no one will not help you to solve them. Every sccessful person of this world face the hurdlers like this in their success journey but they didn't lose heart and face them with patience and stood firm in their doings. With their painstaking efforts they bore fruit of success.
In conclusion, I can say clearly that instead of just accepting worst situations we should also make hard work to overcome these situations and try for the better future and lifestyle.
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. While the prompt asks for a discussion of unsatisfactory jobs or financial shortages, the essay remains quite general. The arguments provided, such as 'we will not be able to overcome these situations,' are repetitive and lack specific, concrete examples to support the points. The essay meets the requirements of the task, but the depth of analysis is insufficient for a higher band score. The position is consistent throughout, but the supporting arguments need more elaboration to fully satisfy the criteria for a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of ideas. There is a basic attempt at using cohesive devices, such as 'On the other hand,' 'Consequently,' and 'However.' However, some transitions feel mechanical or slightly unnatural, such as 'The worst reality of this world is that...' which does not effectively link to the previous sentence. Referencing is generally clear, but the flow between sentences could be improved to create a more cohesive argument. The paragraphing is appropriate, but the overall structure lacks the sophistication required for a higher band.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice, such as 'unwilling jobs' (likely meaning 'unsatisfactory' or 'unfulfilling') and 'high budget' (likely meaning 'financial hardship'). The phrase 'hurdlers' is used incorrectly; 'hurdles' would be the correct term. While the student attempts to use some more complex vocabulary, the inaccuracies in collocation and word choice occasionally hinder the clarity of the message. To improve, the student should focus on learning more precise collocations and academic vocabulary.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'no one will not help you' (a double negative that changes the intended meaning), 'Every sccessful person... face the hurdlers' (subject-verb agreement error), and 'they bore fruit of success' (unnatural idiom usage). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the frequency of errors in basic grammar, such as verb tense and subject-verb agreement, is noticeable. These errors do not completely impede communication, but they are persistent throughout the text.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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