Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-01

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)

Nowadays, there is a debate going on about 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. In my opinion we should try to improve our situation rather than just doing anything you don't even like or satisfied. But today we will discuss both the scenarios on by one.

First, I would like to discuss about those people who believe that it is best to accept a bad situation, such as an unsatisfactory Job or shortage of money. This is some sort of a right thing to do because if you don't have any other job options right now then you should definitely do a job that you are not satisfied with because there is a saying that "something is better than nothing". And when you will find a good job on the basis of your liking then you can quit that unsatisfactory Job. And that is totally my opinion on this because if you don't have any money and you are also not doing anything just because some job doesn't satisfy you it's not a right thing to do. Because without money you can't eat, drink or even go outside because you cannot do anything without money.

Secondly, I would like to discuss about those people who think that it is better to try and improve such situations. I will definitely agree with these people. Because in my opinion everyone should always try try to improve there situations rather than just sit and see whatever is happening in their lives. There are a lot of people which I know they were living a very bad life. But they didn't just sit and see, they worked hard.they did everything they can do to improve their lives. They try different things. They avail different opportunities. The best part is that they didn't give up on them and know they are successful in there lives. I think everyone should do the same to improve their situations.

In conclusion, both the scenarios are correct based on the situations which we discussed above. And in my opinion, we should definitely do an unsatisfactory Job if we don't have any other options. And we should also try to improve our situations so that we can do what we like in life in future.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both views on accepting bad situations versus trying to improve them and provides an opinion. However, the development of ideas remains limited and under-developed. For example, while the writer mentions the practical necessity of earning money to survive, this point is repetitive rather than extended with deeper analysis or varied examples. The position is stated, but the arguments rely heavily on general assertions rather than well-supported reasoning. To move to a higher level, the writer needs to fully extend their ideas with more thorough explanations and specific, concrete examples rather than relying on brief, circular statements.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is some organisation evident in the essay, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion, and the response is divided into logical paragraphs. However, overall progression is lacking, and cohesive devices are frequently mechanical or repetitive, such as the frequent reliance on 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'In conclusion'. Additionally, referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly with pronoun usage and conversational filler phrases like 'But today we will discuss both the scenarios on by one.' To achieve a higher band, the writer must use a wider and more flexible range of cohesive devices and ensure smoother transitions between ideas to create a clear, logical progression throughout the text.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited and minimally adequate for the task. The writer attempts some less common phrasing, but this is accompanied by noticeable errors in word choice, form, and spelling, such as writing 'there situations' instead of 'their situations' and 'know they are successful' instead of 'now they are successful'. Repetition of basic words like 'job', 'situation', and 'money' restricts the lexical range. To improve, the writer should focus on expanding their vocabulary to include more precise synonyms and collocations, and pay closer attention to word forms and spelling to ensure smoother communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writer demonstrates a limited range of sentence structures, relying heavily on simple sentences and basic coordination. Attempts at complex sentences are often faulty, featuring frequent grammatical errors such as awkward phrasing in 'some people believe that it is best...' combined directly into a subject position, and punctuation issues. Errors in verb forms, articles, and agreement are frequent and can occasionally cause difficulty for the reader. To reach a higher band, the writer must incorporate a wider variety of complex structures with greater accuracy, ensuring that the majority of sentences are error-free and control of grammar is consistently maintained.

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