Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-22

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 some countries, children are often told that they can achieve anything if they try hard enough.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of giving children this message?

In different countries, children are often encouraged to believe that they can achieve any ambition if they work hard, are consistent, and have determination. This essay will suggest how this message can motivate young people and make them confident to pursue their goals. However, this belief can create unrealistic expectations and make them disappointed if they fail to achieve their goals.

One of the major advantages of telling children that they can be able to attain anything if they try hard enough is that it would make children more confident and rely on their personal skills rather than on anyone. It can give a sense of motivation to children to face challenges. For instance, if a student struggles in mathematics and he continues practicing instead of giving up after receiving poor grades. This attitude of not giving up can help him to face difficult circumstances instead of giving up. This attitude can develop a sense of resilience, self-discipline, and confident. Which help them to set ambitious goals and make greater effort to achieve them.

Despite the advantages, this belief can create an unrealistic view towards success and failure, make children disappointed, and criticize themselves for not being able to achieve anything. Also, makes doubts about their skills, which leads to demotivation and makes them frustrated. Because success isn’t just about working hard enough. Sometimes, other factors are involved, such as high competition, social and financial status, and educational abilities. For Instance, a student works day and night to get admission to a prestigious university, but due to some financial issues, he cannot get enrollment this would lead to disappointment and self-doubt.

In balance, telling children that they can achieve their goals through hard work can encourage perseverance, confidence, and ambition. Nevertheless, they should also be taught that effort and hard work are important but doesn’t guarantee success sometime external circumstances and individual effort both can affect the outcome.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The student addresses both views regarding the message that children can achieve anything through hard work, while giving their own opinion. However, there is a notable prompt discrepancy: the introduction mistakenly refers to the advantages and disadvantages of giving this message instead of discussing the two views provided in the actual task prompt, though the body paragraphs successfully discuss the views and provide an opinion. Ideas are generally well-developed with relevant examples, such as a student struggling in mathematics or facing financial issues. To reach a higher band, the introduction must accurately reflect the specific prompt question regarding accepting a bad situation versus trying to improve it.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is generally coherent with a clear overall progression. Paragraphing is used adequately, separating the introduction, advantages, disadvantages, and conclusion. Cohesive devices are employed, such as 'One of the major advantages', 'Despite the advantages', and 'In balance', though some transitions feel a bit mechanical. There are also occasional cohesion issues, such as a sentence fragment in the second body paragraph ('Which help them to set ambitious goals...'), which disrupts the flow. Referencing is generally clear, but smoother integration of complex cohesive links would elevate this criterion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common items such as 'resilience', 'self-discipline', and 'perseverance'. However, there are noticeable word-choice and collocation errors, such as 'make doubts about their skills' instead of 'cause doubts', and some repetition of phrases like 'giving up'. Spelling is generally accurate, but inaccuracies in phrasing occasionally detract from precision. To achieve a band 7, vocabulary needs to be used with greater control and natural collocation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including conditional and relative clauses. However, there are frequent grammatical errors and punctuation slips throughout the text. Examples include 'make children disappointed' missing a subject or modal, the sentence fragment 'Which help them to set ambitious goals...', and run-on structures like 'this would lead to disappointment and self-doubt.' Additionally, clauses sometimes clash in tense or agreement. While these errors rarely impede overall communication, their frequency prevents the essay from reaching a band 7.

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

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