Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-17
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)
It is argued that some people believe acceptance of a bad situation is okay such as an unsatisfactory job or shortage of money. Some other people believe that people have to try and improve their situations. I completely agree with second view that individuals don't have to give up.
On the one hand, individuals believe to accept bad situation such as unsatisfied job or shortage of money. These people are afraid of losing their job. They think that they don't have any opportunities except what they are doing right now. For instance, individuals who are not satisfied with their job, They don't search for any other job because they are afraid of losing job and lack of money. These people are trying to best live in that situation. They just accept that situation as the part of the faith. Individuals who do not paid enough never try to do another work or look for another work to improve their life.
On the one hand, Some people think that it is better to try and improve situations. Individuals did not give-up on any situation. For instance, people who are not paid well enough to pay his bill, they try to look for another job that pays well or part time. These people believe that keep going on anything is only way to improve your situation. They view difficult situation as a challenge to overcome it and not gives up.
In conclusion, some people believe that you have to learn to live in bad situations. However, some believe that not giving up is the only way to improve your situations.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both views regarding the acceptance or improvement of difficult situations and presents a clear personal position in the introduction, stating full agreement with the view that individuals should try to improve their circumstances. However, the development of ideas is limited and repetitive. For instance, the discussion on why people accept bad situations relies heavily on the repeated notion of being 'afraid of losing their job' without introducing broader examples or deep exploration. Similarly, the second body paragraph reiterates the concept of not giving up rather than expanding with varied arguments. Because the ideas are presented in a somewhat generalised and underdeveloped manner, the response achieves a Band 5.5. To reach a higher band, the student should provide more elaborated, distinct supporting arguments and specific examples rather than restating the same point multiple times.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay displays a basic overall structure with an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a brief conclusion. However, paragraphing is problematic; the writer uses 'On the one hand' for both body paragraphs instead of contrasting two different sides with 'On the other hand'. Cohesive devices are repetitive and sometimes inaccurate, such as 'For instance' and 'These people'. Progression is hindered by the repetitive nature of the arguments and a lack of smooth transitions between sentences. Pronoun referencing is also frequently unclear, as seen in sentences like 'people who are not paid well enough to pay his bill, they try...'. Overall, the organisation shows some structure and progression, fitting the descriptors for Band 5.0. To improve, the student must use a greater variety of cohesive links and ensure proper paragraph signposting.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The lexical resource is limited and adequate only for basic communication. The student repeatedly uses fundamental vocabulary such as 'situation', 'job', 'people', and 'bad'. There are noticeable lexical errors and awkward collocations, such as 'accept bad situation', 'unsatisfied job', 'faith' instead of 'fate', and 'do not paid enough'. While the student attempts some less common phrasing, inaccuracies in word choice and morphology impede fluency and reduce precision. This performance aligns with Band 5.0. To improve, the student should expand their vocabulary range, pay closer attention to word forms and collocations, and avoid constant repetition of basic nouns and adjectives.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but attempts at complex structures are frequently marred by grammatical errors. Frequent issues include tense inconsistencies, missing auxiliary verbs ('Individuals who do not paid enough'), subject-verb agreement errors ('people who are not paid well enough... his bill'), and punctuation mistakes. Furthermore, awkward phrasing and structural flaws frequently cause difficulty for the reader. The frequency of grammatical errors places this response at Band 5.0. To achieve a higher score, the student needs to exercise better control over basic sentence construction, ensure correct verb forms and subject-verb agreement, and reduce the frequency of structural errors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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