Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-13

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)

Several inhabitants suppose that it is better to accept difficult circumstances or try to change them. Both views have merit, but I believe that making efforts to improve a situation is generally more beneficial.

On the one hand, there are various arguements for acceptance. Firstly, acceptance can bring peace of mind it leads to peace. But if we continuously fight against low salaries it can ba cause of depression and anxiety. For example, In the developing countries inhabitants knows that less opportunity are available such as Pakistan. In Pakistan people know that they have to do low salary jobs to manage their household budgets and they are doing there effort well. Trying to change everything immerdiatelymay not be realistic.

On the other hand, I think trying to improve bad conditions is a more positive attitude. If people simply accept poverty and bad job they never make progress. Effort and determination are essential for growth. For instance, a person with a low-paying job can learn new skills online, improve his English or computer knowledge, and apply for better jobs. This mindset leads to personal development and financial stability. Moreover, history shows that all progress come from people who refused to accept bad conditions. If everyone accept problems, no new businesses or inventions would exists.

In conclusion, although accepting a difficult situation can sometimes reduces stress and is paractical in certain cases. I strongly believe that having starving to i

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You discuss both perspectives and state a clear preference for trying to improve difficult circumstances, especially through the example of learning skills and applying for better work. However, the acceptance argument is less fully explained: the point about low salaries causing anxiety is difficult to follow, and the Pakistan example is general rather than showing clearly why acceptance may be sensible. Your conclusion is cut off at “having starving to…”, so it does not complete your opinion or summarise the discussion. The response also falls 12 words short of the required minimum. Develop each view with a clear reason and a specific example, then finish with a complete conclusion to address all parts more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and an attempted conclusion. “On the one hand” and “On the other hand” help signal the change in perspective, and the example about learning skills follows the point about personal progress. However, some links between ideas are unclear or mechanical. For example, “acceptance can bring peace of mind it leads to peace” repeats the same idea without a clear connection, while the Pakistan example is not smoothly tied to the claim about acceptance. The unfinished final sentence also disrupts the ending. Use linking phrases to show cause and contrast precisely, and ensure each paragraph develops one connected line of reasoning.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “peace of mind,” “determination,” “personal development,” and “financial stability.” These phrases help communicate the main ideas, but the range is limited and several inaccurate or misspelled expressions make parts difficult to understand. Examples include “arguements,” “immerdiatelymay,” “having starving,” and “they are doing there effort well.” Some combinations are also unnatural, such as “bad job” and “low salaries” in contexts where more precise wording would help. Build a bank of accurate collocations for employment and hardship, and proofread spelling and word forms. More precise choices would make your arguments clearer and less repetitive.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex structures, including conditional sentences such as “If people simply accept poverty and bad job they never make progress” and “If everyone accept problems…”. However, errors in agreement, sentence boundaries, and verb forms are frequent enough to make some sentences difficult to follow. For example, “inhabitants knows” should use a plural verb, and “all progress come” needs a singular verb. The opening of the first body paragraph also joins two clauses without suitable punctuation: “acceptance can bring peace of mind it leads to peace.” The conclusion contains an incomplete construction, “although accepting… reduces stress… I strongly believe…”. Practise checking subject–verb agreement and completing each sentence with a clear main clause.

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