Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-10

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 5.0)

Most people argue that it is better to accept a bad circumstance, like a boring job or lack of money in life. However, in my perspective there is a strong believe that even though life gets hard it is better to cope with what we face and work harder if we want to achieve something like money or a dream job.

First of all, it is a good thing if we try cope with whatever hardships and troubles that come come our way because it is them that show us that life was never meant to be all sunshine and rainbows.

It helps us to build up resilience and face our challenges head on. sometimes these are the only ways in life that can lead to successful life. For instance, take a poor cobbler as an example he may be poor lacking in money but lacking not lacking physically or in any new ideas. And puttin he decides to put those ideas into shape

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, which significantly impacts the ability to fully develop ideas. While you introduce both sides of the argument and state a personal opinion, the discussion is severely underdeveloped. The example of the 'poor cobbler' is fragmented and lacks the necessary depth to support your argument effectively. To improve, you must ensure that each paragraph provides a clear, extended explanation with relevant examples, and you must complete the essay to meet the length requirement to allow for a full discussion of both perspectives.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay shows some attempt at logical organization, using transition signals like 'First of all' and 'For instance'. However, the progression of ideas is interrupted by the incomplete nature of the text. Paragraphing is present, but the final paragraph is cut off mid-sentence, which disrupts the overall flow. To improve, ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and that ideas are linked smoothly using a variety of cohesive devices, such as 'furthermore', 'consequently', or 'in contrast', rather than relying on simple connectors.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is generally functional but limited in range. You use some basic collocations like 'sunshine and rainbows' and 'face our challenges head on', but there is a lack of academic or sophisticated vocabulary required for a higher band. There are also minor errors in word choice, such as 'strong believe' instead of 'strong belief'. To improve, try to incorporate more precise academic vocabulary and ensure correct word forms are used. Focus on learning synonyms for common words to avoid repetition and add nuance to your arguments.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation. Examples include 'try cope' (missing 'to'), 'come come' (repetition), and 'puttin he decides' (fragmented syntax). These errors occasionally make the text difficult to follow. To improve, focus on basic sentence construction, ensuring that subjects and verbs agree and that prepositions are used correctly. Practice writing complete, error-free sentences before attempting more complex structures, and proofread carefully to eliminate slips like repeated words.

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

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