Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-06
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)
There is an ongoing debate about whether it is best to accept a bad situation, such as an unsatisfactory job or low income, while other believe that it is better to try and improve such situations. This essay will discuss both views, and In my opinion, I believe trying to improve such situations is benificial for long-term career.
On the one hand, a number of individual believe that accepting a bad situation is best because it keeps them in safe side and helps them to not lose job although it is unsatisfactory. For example , a employee who is not satisfied with their work doesnot change the job due to lack of job so they accept the situation for income.Therefore, the lack of opportunities stops employees to accept the bad situation such as low-income.
On the other hand, others people thinks that trying to improve such situation is better because it help them to find better opportunities and long term career benefits. People who try to find a way to tackle bad situation and improve might fail initially due to lack of opportunities but for long run they can create opportunities themself which supports in career development. For instance , if a employee is unsatisfied with salary they can create a new business for them self to improve the situation. Thus, trying to tackle and improve such situation can benefit for long-term career development.
In conclusion, although accepting bad situation is beneficial for short term success, I firmly believe that trying to improve the situation helps to develop career in long run.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt by discussing both views and providing a personal opinion, but the ideas remain somewhat limited and under-developed. Furthermore, the length requirement was not met as the student's response contains 238 words, falling 12 words short of the 250-word minimum (excluding 24 words copied from the task prompt). While the writer attempts to present arguments for both sides, points such as staying in a safe side or creating a business are repetitive and lack depth or specific real-world examples. To reach a higher band, the response needs to extend ideas more fully and ensure the minimum word count is satisfied.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
There is some basic organisation with clear paragraph breaks and standard transitional markers such as 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand', but there is a lack of clear overall progression. Referencing and cohesive devices are at times repetitive or mechanical, for example using 'such situation' and 'bad situation' repeatedly rather than varied pronouns or synonyms. Paragraphing is present and used sufficiently to divide the essay into introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion, but transitions between sentences can be abrupt. To improve, the writer should employ a wider and more accurate range of cohesive devices to create a smoother, more logical flow of ideas throughout the text.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is limited but minimally adequate for the task. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary items such as 'unsatisfactory', 'career development', and 'short-term success', but there are noticeable errors in word choice and word formation, such as 'benificial' instead of beneficial, 'individual' instead of individuals, and 'them self' instead of themselves. These vocabulary and spelling inaccuracies occasionally cause minor strain for the reader. To achieve a higher band, the writer needs to expand their lexical repertoire and demonstrate greater precision in word choice, spelling, and collocation.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The writer uses a limited range of structures, relying mostly on simple sentences alongside some attempts at complex forms that are frequently faulty. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'a employee who is not satisfied... doesnot change', 'others people thinks'), missing articles (e.g., 'due to lack of job', 'for long run'), and clumsy clause structures. These frequent errors can cause some difficulty for the reader and reflect a restricted control over grammatical forms and punctuation. To improve, the writer must work on basic grammatical accuracy, article usage, and ensure complex sentences are constructed correctly.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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