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)
People ought to set an opinion on bad situations whether be it dealing with shortage of money or being in an unsatisfactory job. While every life situation teaches us a lesson, i believe it is not worth the effort to fight every battle.
Some people believe that accepting the bad situations make the suffering less. The optimistic thinking make them believe that everything happens for a reason. For example, working in a toxic environment and having an unsatisfactory job can really affect your mental health, while people can think that this situation could bring out the best in them by checking their endurance level and how they deal with the situation. Another factor like shortage of money also can make them learn the value of money.
While every bad situation has the capability to test your patience at various levels, it is not worth dealing with the mental stress and exhaustion. It becomes necessary to try and improve your conditions. For example, a person in an unsatisfactory job, whether be it the environment, late working hours, should not wait there for a life lesson to be learnt. It is better to upgrade your living conditions, in terms of money shortages too. It becomes crucial to try and work harder for the dream or life you aim for.
In conclusion, I believe working or dealing with bad situation does let you find out your endurance level, but if by trying harder you can get the life you want or improve your living situations then go for the hard work and effort to achieve that life.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| 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 you mention that accepting a situation can teach endurance, the explanation remains superficial. Similarly, the argument for improving one's situation is clear but lacks specific, well-developed examples. The essay covers all parts of the prompt, but the ideas could be extended further with more concrete illustrations or deeper analysis to reach a higher band. The position is consistent throughout, which is a strength.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'While,' 'For example,' and 'In conclusion,' to link ideas. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes a bit mechanical, and the transition between the two viewpoints could be smoother. The use of referencing is generally clear, though some sentences feel slightly disjointed. Overall, the progression of ideas is easy to follow, and the paragraphing is appropriate for the task.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'unsatisfactory,' 'toxic environment,' and 'endurance level.' There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'set an opinion' (instead of 'form an opinion') and 'whether be it' (which is grammatically awkward). While you attempt to use more sophisticated language, the range is somewhat limited, and you rely on some repetitive phrasing. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and a wider variety of topic-specific vocabulary.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('optimistic thinking make them believe') and awkward phrasing ('whether be it'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are instances where sentence structure could be more refined. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Increasing the variety of complex structures and ensuring subject-verb agreement would significantly improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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