Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-04

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)

The claim that dealing with life's Challenges has divided the population into two schools of thoughts. In this regard, it is proposed that most of the people assume that it is better to adopt a bad phenomenon, although many disagreed and contended that it is good to try and improve such situations. I, for one, believe that the proposal of accepting bad situations is an insufficient measure; however without weighing all the factors carefully would be unwise to say the least. This essay will

explore both aspects of this discussion from a broad set of socio economic lenses.

To commence with, let us focus on the thoughts presented by the proponents of dealing with the bad situation. First and foremost dealing with the unsatisfactory job can lead you to get depression and we might develop anxiety because of it, one study found that in Canada people who do the job they are unsatisfied with they build up anger issue in them also the study provided they might have suicidal though. However, despite these benefits, merely accepting a difficult situation is not an ideal solution, as it may discourage individuals from pursuing better opportunities.

However, we cannot ignore the notions advocated by the supporters of try and improve such situations. It is my view that by improving situation may help you many things as individuals who actively seek better opportunities can improve their financial stability and quality of life for example by changing job you disliked may help you to get to learn new skills and new skills provide you various opportunities. Further more, It is worth considering the person who try to overcome challenges may provide for the society For instance, individuals who do business may have financial difficulties but making opportunities for other people.

To conclude, after taking into account all the factors outlined in this essay, I opine that the supporting rationales are subjective, if not feeble while opposing ideas are fiercely logical and unyielding. Therefore, I stand strongly to support individuals should make consistent efforts to overcome their challenges rather than accepting the situation.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both views on accepting versus improving difficult situations and provides a personal opinion. However, the development of ideas remains limited and somewhat confused. For instance, in the second body paragraph, the writer attempts to argue for the proponents of accepting a bad situation, but the supporting points paradoxically mention that unsatisfactory jobs lead to depression, anxiety, and anger issues, which actually undermines the premise of accepting such situations. Furthermore, while a position is stated, some arguments lack clarity and extension, keeping the task response at this level. To reach higher bands, the ideas need to be more fully developed with clearer, logically consistent support rather than contradictory examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay displays some overall organization with clear paragraph breaks and basic introductory and concluding frameworks. However, the progression of ideas is hindered by awkward transitions and confusing logic, particularly in the body paragraphs where contrasting views are muddled. Cohesive devices are sometimes used mechanically or inaccurately, such as the redundant use of 'However' at the start of consecutive paragraphs and phrasing like 'To commence with' and 'To conclude'. Referencing is also occasionally unclear, making it difficult to follow the logical thread of the arguments. To improve, the writer needs to ensure smoother transitions between sentences and paragraphs, and maintain a clearer, more logical progression of thought throughout the essay.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the student to communicate basic ideas about career challenges and financial difficulties. There are attempts to use less common lexical items, such as 'socio economic lenses', 'proponents', and 'financial stability', but these are accompanied by noticeable errors in word choice, collocation, and form, such as 'adopt a bad phenomenon', 'suicidal though', and 'making opportunities'. Spelling and word formation errors, like 'Further more', occur but do not entirely impede communication. To achieve a higher band, the student must expand their range of vocabulary and demonstrate greater precision in word choice and collocation, ensuring that less common items are used accurately and naturally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The essay demonstrates a limited range of sentence structures with frequent grammatical errors that can cause difficulty for the reader. While there are some attempts at complex sentences, these are often faulty, featuring issues with subject-verb agreement, missing articles, and awkward phrasing, such as 'without weighing all the factors carefully would be unwise' and 'individuals who do the job they are unsatisfied with they build up anger issue'. Punctuation errors and run-on sentences are also present, such as in the final paragraph where clauses are comma-spliced. To progress, the writer needs to improve sentence construction, ensure greater accuracy in basic and complex grammatical forms, and pay closer attention to punctuation and agreement.

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

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