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)

In today's rapidly evolving world, the issue of living in a bad situation like unsatisfactory job and money shortage has become a matter of considerable public interest. While some people firmly believe that accepting such condition is best, others argues that it is better to try and improve such situation. I strongly agree that trying hard to get out of this situation make a life more beneficial.

To begin with, it totally depends on people that in which type of situation they want to live in. In many countries, people who are suffering with the shortage of money work as an employee which is not even align with their academics. They spend a huge amount of money for their studies for getting a good career opportunities. But, instead of working hard they choose to work where they get easy money in return. For example, one of my friend after completing his bachelor's in computer engineering started working at the call center as a sales executive just because he does not want to waste his time on finding a better opportunity which purely aligns with his university program.

On the other hand, if someone who don't want to live a whole life in this type of situation would definitely work hard to achieve a position he want. People should make more connections to other people who already passed this situation in their past, so that they can motivate them to upgrade their lifestyle. For instance, I was watching a podcast of an artist who was telling his past that how his friend helped him to get out his poor situation so that he can achieve his dream.

To conclude, I would like to say that if a person decide to change his situation, he can do whatever needed to become a person he once imagined he will become.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal position. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. The example regarding the friend working at a call center is relevant but slightly contradicts the prompt's focus on 'accepting a bad situation' versus 'improving it,' as the friend is described as choosing an easier path rather than actively improving his situation. The second body paragraph is a bit general and could benefit from more specific, concrete examples to fully support the argument. Overall, the response covers all parts of the task, but the depth of analysis is limited, which prevents it from reaching a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'To begin with,' 'On the other hand,' and 'For instance,' which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are mechanical, and the flow between sentences is occasionally interrupted by grammatical errors. Referencing is generally clear, but the logical progression within the second body paragraph could be tighter. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall structure is coherent enough to follow the writer's argument without difficulty.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'rapidly evolving world,' 'academics,' and 'align with their university program.' However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'make a life more beneficial' (instead of 'improve one's life') and 'passed this situation' (instead of 'overcome this situation'). The range of vocabulary is sufficient for the task but lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands.

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, particularly with subject-verb agreement ('others argues,' 'someone who don't want,' 'if a person decide') and article usage ('the shortage of money'). There are also issues with prepositional phrases and verb forms. While these errors do not impede communication, they are persistent throughout the text. To improve, the writer should focus on subject-verb agreement and ensuring that complex sentence structures are constructed accurately.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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