Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-11

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)

As far as this topic is concerned, I would like to say people have different preferences related to work and money. Some people may think that it is a better option to face a bad situation like low satisfaction in a job or having not enough money whereas some say that it is more better to improve such conditions. In this essay, I will discuss both sides of the arguments and draw a conclusion.

First of all, people relying on less money face a lot of issues. Increase in expenditures day by day cause a lot of problems for the people who are earning hand to moth. However, they somehow have to manage their expenses and try to stay within the boundary because of their limited budget. Moreover, something which is fulfilling your needs and got you covered is still better rather than having nothing of it. That's why such people thing whether the earning is low but at least they are not facing extreme issues. So they just simply adapt to it and start living there lives accordingly, without further thinking of financial improvements.

On the other hand, people who believe that earning better and to improving your situations are those people who already earn a lot and work in cooperate sector where a person is promoted quickly. Furthermore, there expenses rise according to their earnings. These people always try to earn more and from different sources because they never want to stay in the same situation forever.

To encapsulate, I would like to say that although it is a common thought that people prefer to work according to their needs and task requirements. I believe that improving financial and career conditions plays a vital role in your lifestyle. You can survive with low money too but it becomes difficult in longer run or otherwise you will adapt to it and you will not like to improve further. So it is better to keep improving your financial conditions and career status.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You discuss both responses to difficult circumstances and give a clear preference for improving financial and career conditions, especially in the conclusion. The point that people with limited income may adapt because they need to manage essential expenses is relevant. However, the discussion is uneven: the first view receives more explanation, while the second is reduced to claims about people who already earn a lot or work in the “cooperate sector.” This does not fully explain why someone might actively improve an unsatisfactory job or financial situation, and the claim about promotion is not supported with an example. Develop both sides more evenly and explain the reasons behind your position to make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. Transitions such as “First of all,” “On the other hand,” and “To encapsulate” help signal the stages of the discussion. Overall, the ideas can be followed, but progression within paragraphs is sometimes unclear: the second body paragraph moves from higher earnings to rising expenses and then to seeking multiple income sources without showing how these points connect to the view being discussed. Some linking phrases also feel formulaic, and references such as “these people” are broad. Use clearer topic sentences and explain the relationship between each supporting point.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “limited budget,” “financial improvements,” “expenses,” and “career status.” However, the range is limited and several noticeable word-choice, collocation, and spelling errors make parts of the response awkward or less clear. For example, “earning hand to moth” appears to mean living from hand to mouth, while “cooperate sector” should be “corporate sector”; “more better” is also not an appropriate comparative form. Repetition of “people,” “situation,” and “earn” further limits flexibility. Aim for accurate topic-specific phrases and check spelling and collocations carefully; the suggestions below offer practical alternatives.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including clauses introduced by “whereas,” “because,” and “although,” and the overall meaning is generally understandable. However, errors in sentence construction and agreement recur. For example, “Increase in expenditures day by day cause” needs a clearer subject and verb agreement, and “although it is a common thought that people prefer…” does not form a complete, clear contrast with the rest of the sentence. The final sentence also joins several ideas with “or otherwise” in a way that obscures their relationship. Practise building accurate complex sentences, checking singular and plural subjects, and separating ideas when a sentence becomes difficult to control.

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