Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-12

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 6.0)

For a situation of being a sanguine individual, there are 2 polarised groups. One who believes that their life has been obliged to live under tough circumstances and does not try to climb out of that well, and one who manifests a better life beyond these harsh situations and try their best to ameliorate it.

For the first group of people, acceptance of the current situation is seen as the best option temporarily. However, in the long run, acceptance feels hard over time. It makes you feel more helpless every next day and you start to assume that your future has been written to be unfortunate with nothing that can cure it. For example, a person who does not tackle his financial hardship will regret everyday that if he had tackled it the day before, he would not have to suffer the current situation. Thus, there is no right time to start overcoming their condition.

Moreover, such individuals who do not try would underestimate their skillset and not completely explore it. Despite them being capable of soaring higher in life, their lack of will to try bounds them where they are. For instance, many scientific studies show that the human brain is utterly sophisticated and can possibly do things that we have not even thought of.

The other more optimistic group have a completely contrasting mindset. They would look for every opportunity to grow and grab them immediately. However, this commitment when turned into success might be termed as 'luck' by people who have not experienced trying. There is no such lucky person and most of the successful billionaires, for instance, have started small and with numerous failed attempts. Improvement would feel hard initially but the more you try, the more you are probable to succeed just like shooting more darts would make bullseye more likely.

In conclusion, I suggest that whatsoever the current situation may be, it is not the destined one if you do not stop trying.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.0
Coherence and Cohesion6.0
Lexical Resource6.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.0
Overall6.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You discuss both views and make your own position clear in the conclusion: you argue that people should keep trying rather than regard their circumstances as fixed. The paragraphs about accepting hardship and seeking improvement are relevant, and the financial-hardship example helps illustrate the first view. However, the discussion is not fully balanced: acceptance is mainly presented as harmful, with little explanation of why someone might reasonably accept a difficult situation, such as when change is outside their control or acceptance protects their wellbeing. The scientific-studies reference is also general and does not clearly support the point about individual potential. Develop the rationale for both sides and use more specific support to make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure, moving from an introduction to separate discussion of the two views and then a conclusion. Paragraphing helps readers follow this progression, and signposts such as “For the first group” and “The other more optimistic group” make the contrast apparent. Some connections, however, feel mechanical or unclear. “Moreover” introduces another criticism of acceptance, while the link between scientific research and the claim about people’s skills is not made explicit. The opening sentence is also difficult to follow, so the central contrast takes time to emerge. Use a more direct introduction, make the relationship between each example and its claim explicit, and vary transitions so they express the precise logical connection.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You show a good range of vocabulary and attempt less common expressions, including “ameliorate,” “financial hardship,” “underestimate,” and “sophisticated.” These choices allow you to discuss the topic with some precision, and the meaning is generally clear. At times, however, ambitious wording is not natural or accurate in context: “a situation of being a sanguine individual” does not express the essay’s topic clearly, and “bounds them where they are” is an awkward collocation. “More probable to succeed” is also less idiomatic than a direct expression of increased likelihood. This range meets the task well, but more consistent control of collocation and natural phrasing would make the vocabulary more flexible and precise.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex forms, including conditional structures in “if he had tackled it the day before” and a relative clause in “people who have not experienced trying.” Most sentences communicate the intended meaning, but some grammatical errors remain. For example, “one who manifests … and try their best” has a subject–verb agreement problem, and “the other more optimistic group have” does not maintain agreement between the singular group and its verb. In “the more you try, the more you are probable to succeed,” the construction is not grammatically well formed. Review agreement with collective nouns and the patterns used after comparative expressions. Greater accuracy across these varied structures would strengthen the response.

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