Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-28
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 4.5)
Many people think that its better to accept bad situation like a job that offers little satisfaction or unsufficient financial resource, whereas others argue that we should struggle and try change such situations. In my opinion, we should keep trying because in the end hard work awlays pays back.
On one hand, many individual believe that its better to live in a realistc world and accept bad situations. This is mainly because
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0
The response is severely under-length, containing only 72 words compared to the minimum requirement of 250 words. Because of this extreme brevity, the candidate fails to discuss both views adequately, and the argument is cut off mid-sentence in the second paragraph ('This is mainly because'). While the writer attempts to introduce a position ('in my opinion, we should keep trying'), the task cannot be fully developed. Under the official descriptors, an incomplete response that stops well short of the word count cannot receive a passing score for Task Achievement. Consequently, a Band 4.0 is awarded for minimal task completion.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0
Due to the fragmenting of the text and the sudden cutoff, coherent progression cannot be fully evaluated. However, the writer does attempt a logical introduction using appropriate transition signals such as 'On one hand' and 'whereas'. Paragraphing is initiated properly, separating the introduction from the body paragraph. Because the writing halts abruptly before any cohesive devices or arguments can be fully developed, it aligns with Band 4.0, where information and ideas cannot be arranged coherently across a complete essay structure, though isolated attempts at logic are visible.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The student demonstrates a basic range of vocabulary with some attempts at less common phrasing, such as 'unsufficient financial resource' and 'realistc world'. There are spelling and word choice inaccuracies ('its' instead of 'it's' or 'it is', 'bad situation' missing a plural or article, 'unsufficient' instead of 'insufficient', 'awlays' instead of 'always'). The lexical range is limited and repetitive, though it is minimally adequate for the few sentences produced. This fits the Band 5.0 descriptor, where the vocabulary allows for basic communication but noticeable errors cause some difficulty.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as the comparative structure 'Many people think that its better to... whereas others argue that...'. However, there are frequent basic grammatical and punctuation errors, including missing apostrophes ('its' for 'it's'), spelling mistakes ('awlays'), and an incomplete sentence structure where the text trails off entirely. Control over grammar is inconsistent, placing the response at a Band 5.0 due to the frequent errors and the inability to maintain accurate complex structures across a complete text.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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