Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-04
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)
These days a lot of people think it is a positive way to accept an awful situation , like a job with minimal amount of money . People hold different views regarding whether best to begin with new idea and challenge different situation . While , there are valid arguments on both sides . But , I personally believe that to try new things and improve their lifestyle . To begin with , on the one hand proponents of some people who believe that it is valuable to accept a serious situation for any weak working areas with limited money argued that can cause issues in their personal life . The main primary reason for this is they may have responsibility of their families and they can not take risk . A clear illustration is that they can not afford their expenses so they have to accept their difficulty .
On the other hand , i side with those who believe that you have to make effort and demonstrate such situations . It is mainly because , a clear instruction is that they want to improve their lifestyle and take risks for their family . For instance , they are unhappy with their jobs and they wanted to learn new skills for their betterment of their life . In my opinion , i believe that you have to take risk for their family because of their betterment in future . I assume that this risk can also acquire new lessons for our own good .
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 clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is limited. The arguments regarding why people accept bad situations (financial responsibility) and why they should change them (personal growth) are mentioned but not fully extended or supported with convincing, detailed examples. The explanation of 'demonstrate such situations' is unclear and does not effectively support the argument. To reach a higher band, you need to provide more depth and specific, logical reasoning for your points rather than repeating the same general ideas about 'betterment' and 'lifestyle'.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For example, the transition 'While , there are valid arguments on both sides . But , I personally believe...' is grammatically fragmented and awkward. The use of 'a clear instruction is that' is an incorrect cohesive phrase, as it does not logically introduce an example or a reason. Referencing is also inconsistent, with pronouns like 'they' sometimes lacking a clear antecedent. The progression of ideas is present but feels disjointed due to these issues with linking words and sentence structure.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive. You frequently use basic terms like 'bad situation', 'good', and 'betterment'. There are also issues with collocation and word choice, such as 'demonstrate such situations' (which does not make sense in this context) and 'weak working areas'. Some phrases are used incorrectly, such as 'minimal amount of money' instead of 'low wages' or 'financial hardship'. While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of precision and the reliance on simple vocabulary prevent the essay from achieving a higher score. You should focus on learning topic-specific collocations.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence attempts, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that occasionally impede readability. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'proponents... argued that can cause'), incorrect preposition usage, and missing articles. Punctuation is also problematic, with spaces placed before commas and periods throughout the text. The sentence structure is often fragmented, such as 'While , there are valid arguments on both sides .' which is not a complete sentence. These errors are frequent and demonstrate a lack of control over complex structures.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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