Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-13
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 2026, when life is very busy, everyone is struggling on their own either to get a better job, a better future, a better marriage life or a better lifestyle.This means we all are facing ups and downs in our lives.
If I talk about accepting a bad situation, sometime its ok. For instance, an employee is working in a well known company with a good salary but the environment of the company is not good, managment is not supportive but still the employee compromises here, accepting the situation becuase he is making a good sum at the end of each month. Further, he can learn more from these situations and can get stronger day by day.
On the flip side, some people say that it's better to atleast try and improve such situations. For example if a person is struggling with the money and is eating hand to mouth. In this case if he accepts the situtaion then his situation never changes. But if he do some hard work at the full of his capacity then there are high chances that his situation gets better. This is also ok because if you do not do anything to improve so how would you know what you can do?
It's an idiom that something is better than nothing. So, in my opinion, if you do not do anything and put hand on hand then how would you know what you are capable of doing to change the situation? Atleast make an effort, try to change the situation and wait for the results.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views—accepting bad situations versus trying to improve them—and provides a clear personal opinion in the conclusion. Ideas are relevant, such as staying in a well-paying job despite a poor environment or striving to escape poverty through hard work. However, some arguments remain somewhat underdeveloped, leaning towards generalisations rather than fully extended analysis. For example, the explanation of why accepting a bad job can make someone stronger is brief and could be further elaborated. Nevertheless, the student maintains a clear position throughout and successfully meets the core demands of the prompt, aligning best with a Band 6.0 description for Task Achievement.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a discernible introduction, body paragraphs addressing each side of the argument, and a concluding stance. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different concepts. However, cohesion is at times mechanical or faulty. For instance, transitional phrases like 'If I talk about' and 'On the flip side' are quite conversational, and referencing is occasionally unclear, as seen in the phrase 'This is also ok' where the antecedent is broad. Furthermore, the flow between sentences could be smoothed with a wider variety of cohesive devices. Overall, the organizational structure is logical enough to ensure the message is easily followed, earning a Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to communicate their ideas clearly regarding jobs and financial struggles. The student attempts some less common vocabulary, such as 'managment' (misspelled as management), 'well known company', and 'hand to mouth'. However, there are noticeable spelling and word-choice errors, including 'sometime its ok', 'becuase', 'situtaion', and the unnatural idiom 'put hand on hand'. These lexical inaccuracies and occasional spelling mistakes restrict the score. The range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning, but control is inconsistent, placing it firmly in the Band 6.0 category.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writer employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as conditional clauses ('If a person is struggling... then his situation never changes'). However, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation, including missing articles ('working in well known company', 'eating hand to mouth'), subject-verb agreement issues ('managment is not supportive', 'if he do some hard work'), and punctuation errors like missing apostrophes ('its', 'cant'). While these errors do not severely impede communication and the reader can easily follow the argument, the lack of consistent accuracy in complex structures prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. A Band 5.5 reflects this mix of structures and frequent, non-impeding errors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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