Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Whether people should accept bad circumstances or put efforts to improve them is subject to debate. Although some individuals agree, others disagree. I strongly believe it's necessary for people to generally try to improve their situation.

Certain individuals find comfort in letting go of situations they feel are beyond their control, such as a shortage of money and mediocre jobs. The main reason for this development is the feeling of low self-esteem or lack of willpower. Most people are too relaxed to go beyond their means to achieve greater heights. This means they find it hard for them to come out of their shells and try harder so as to improve their situation. For instance, a nurse might choose to become a bedside nurse their whole life because they feel limited or lack the will to venture into other fields where they are appreciated eounough, even though they are underpaid and are overworked. The knock-on effect is that they live in working environments where they are underappreciated and inadequately compensated for their work.

Taking charge of one's situation in order to improve it is the best call. Some people often make efforts to come out of difficult situations by all means. Nowadays, people go so far as to work part-time jobs and take out loans in order for them to balance the money shortage. In addition, improving their situation gives people peace of mind. For instance, people who have worked under harsh conditions where they are not satisfied or underpaid tend to leave and find environments that are more favourable to them in both monetary and appreciation terms. The advantage of this is a healthy and productive mindset. Therefore, bad situations should rather serve as a challenge to people than a situation of containment.

In summation, although accepting situations may be necessary, I strongly believe that people should try to improve their circumstances whenever possible.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both views on whether to accept or improve bad situations and clearly presents the writer's own opinion. In the second paragraph, the student explores the perspective of acceptance, attributing it to low self-esteem or a lack of willpower, and illustrates this with a relevant example of a nurse remaining in an unrewarding role. The third paragraph effectively argues the counter-perspective, highlighting how individuals take charge through part-time jobs, loans, or changing environments to achieve a productive mindset. The position is maintained consistently throughout the essay. The ideas are extended and supported well, aligning comfortably with the Band 7 requirements for Task Achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay presents a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct central topic, moving smoothly from the introduction to the two body paragraphs and a concise conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'Although', 'For instance', 'In addition', and 'Therefore' are employed to connect ideas and maintain the flow of the argument. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct strands of thought. While referencing is generally clear, occasional mechanical transitions slightly limit the response from reaching a higher band, placing it solidly at Band 7.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate to sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items and phrasing such as 'beyond their means', 'knock-on effect', 'underappreciated', and 'favourable'. There are occasional awkward word choices or spelling errors, such as writing 'eounough' instead of 'enough' and 'put efforts' instead of 'put effort' or 'make efforts'. However, these lexical slips do not impede communication, and the vocabulary allows the writer to convey their ideas with reasonable precision. This fits the Band 6 descriptor well.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses, conditional ideas, and participial phrases successfully (e.g., 'Whether people should accept bad circumstances or put efforts to improve them is subject to debate'). There are some minor grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'to balance the money shortage' or 'a situation of containment', but these errors are infrequent and rarely impede communication. The majority of the simple and complex structures are controlled well, supporting a Band 6.5 or solid Band 6 performance.

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

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