Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-16

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 6.5)

On one side people argue that it is best to accept a bad situation, such as an unsatisfactory job or lack of money, while on the other side people maintain that it is better to keep persevering to improve such circumstances. In this essay, I will discuss both the sides. Moreover, I will give reasons why I believe people must try to improve their situation if they are unhappy.

Some people believe that by accepting a bad situation, where a person is not satisfied by their job or due to shortage money is the best way forward because job and money are just tiny part of life. Individuals can still be happy by either spending time with their friends and families or by doing activities that they enjoy. Outside of work, for instance, people can pursue their hobby such as doing arts or playing soccer. For some their hobby cannot pay them enough money to survive. Therefore, for such people even if they do not enjoy their work, they would need to do it for survival. However, they can still make their life joyful by doing activties they enjoy in their leisure time.

There are some people who are not willing to accept their current situation because they believe the situation can be improved by working hard. Not everyone is inherently born with money or talent. For instance, a famous football player, Cristiano Ronaldo was born in a poor family but that did not stop him from becoming successful football player. He was able to turnaround his and his family life by working hard and improving his football skills. Anyone who is willing to put in the efforts can achieve things that they desire.

In conclusion, a high paying job or excess money are not mandatory to be happy in life. People can still be happy in life doing things they enjoy outside of work. Lastly, In my opinion individuals must work hard relentlessly in order to improve their life and achieve their dreams.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views—accepting a bad situation versus trying to improve it—and clearly states the writer's own opinion. The position is maintained throughout the essay. Ideas are generally extended and supported, such as when the writer uses the example of Cristiano Ronaldo to illustrate how hard work can transform a difficult background. However, the first body paragraph contains some repetition regarding hobbies and survival, and the phrasing around 'shortage money' is slightly under-developed. Nevertheless, the requirements of the prompt are fully met with a clear and coherent line of argument, aligning well with the descriptors for Band 7.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organised with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs exploring contrasting viewpoints, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used to guide the reader, such as 'On one side', 'Moreover', and 'In conclusion'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas, with each body paragraph focusing on a central theme. While referencing and paragraph transitions are generally clear, some cohesive links feel slightly mechanical or repetitive, such as the repeated use of 'Some people believe'. Overall, the logical progression and clear organisation satisfy the criteria for a Band 7 score.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow flexibility and precision, employing less common items such as 'persevering', 'inherently', and 'relentlessly'. There are, however, occasional inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'shortage money' instead of 'a shortage of money' and 'doing arts' instead of 'the arts'. Spelling is generally accurate, and vocabulary errors do not impede communication. The use of a relevant biographical example ('Cristiano Ronaldo') shows an attempt to use specific thematic language. This performance fits comfortably into Band 6.5, rounded to 6.5 based on the occasional lexical inaccuracies.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including conditional and relative clauses (e.g., 'where a person is not satisfied by their job' and 'Anyone who is willing to put in the efforts...'). There is a good variety of sentence forms, but several grammatical errors persist, such as 'discuss both the sides' (superfluous article), 'due to shortage money', and pluralisation issues like 'put in the efforts'. Punctuation is mostly sound, and although errors occur, they rarely impede communication. The control over grammar represents a solid Band 6 performance.

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