Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-11
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 these days believe that it is beneficial to accept an unsatisfactory consequence like having a job which is done only for financial betterment or facing financial instability. While their counterparts argue that is better to make an effort to improve those situations. This essay will discuss both the views and will state my opinion.
On the one hand, few people say it is better to accept a situation which is detrimental, these situations can include doing an unsatisfactory job or facing financial crisis. Although this is a negative approach in my view. This process sounds truly depressing and can deteriorate an individual's life as doing something which someone does not like would not be happy in life as people say its better to take a few small steps to make life a little better. Secondly, this passive approach traps people in psychological bubble of misery and constant regret. For instance, i know a relative of mine who had lost his wife and child to an accident and lost his job after an year. He never took the initiative to make his condition better but he started consuming alcohol and lost all his assets and became an addict knowing that his finances never mattered after losing his loved ones.
On the other hand, others argue that it is better to try and improve such situations. I vouch for this approach as it includes taking initiatives to make life better and to be responsible and fearless. Moreover, it includes people to be disciplined and motivated enough to push their boundaries in life. Fearlessness is a trait which makes humans do unimaginable things and this can be used as a tool to transform their miserable life into the best gift of God. I support this approach as it fills hopeless people with massive amounts of discipline and creates hunger in people to reach the sky. .
In conclusion, I believe it is better to put efforts to make life better and improve bad situations than to lead a life filled with stress, depression and misery. Hence ,it is better to live with no regrets and to lead a satisfactory 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 position. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. The first body paragraph relies on a personal anecdote that is not fully integrated into the broader argument about 'accepting a bad situation,' as it focuses more on grief than on the choice to accept or improve a career or financial state. The second body paragraph is more focused but relies on somewhat abstract, repetitive language like 'reach the sky' and 'best gift of God' rather than concrete, logical reasoning. To reach a higher band, ensure that examples are directly relevant to the prompt and that arguments are extended with more analytical depth.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs. There is a progression of ideas from the introduction to the conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'On the one hand,' 'Moreover,' and 'In conclusion,' which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as starting a sentence with 'Although this is a negative approach in my view' as a fragment. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the pronoun 'this' in the second paragraph, which could refer to multiple preceding concepts. Improving the flow between sentences would enhance the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their opinion clearly. There are some attempts at less common collocations, such as 'psychological bubble of misery' and 'push their boundaries.' However, there are also instances of imprecise word choice or slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'financial betterment' and 'vouch for this approach.' While the meaning is always clear, the range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, and the repetition of words like 'better' and 'life' throughout the essay suggests a need for more varied synonyms and precise academic terminology.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'While their counterparts argue that is better' (missing subject), 'someone does not like would not be happy' (awkward syntax), and 'after an year' (incorrect article). Punctuation is generally functional, though there are minor errors like the double period at the end of the third paragraph and the spacing before the comma in the conclusion. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher band score. More attention to subject-verb agreement and sentence construction is needed.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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