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)

In todays world, people sometime face difficult situations in their lives, such as an unsatisfactory job or a shortage of money. Some people belive that accepting these situations is the best option, while other think that people should try to improve them. In my opinion, trying to improve a difficult situation is better than accepting it.

Firstly, moeny helps people meet their basic needs, such as food, clothing, housing and education. People who earn a reasonable income can provide a better life for their families. For example, parents can pay school fees, buy healthy food and recieve medical treatment when necessary. In addition, saving money helps people deal with unexpected expenses, such as medical bills or unemployment. AS a result, having enough money can reduce stress and provide grater financial security.

Secondly, money can provide people with more opportunity to improve their future. They can invest in education, learn new skills or start a small business. These opportunities may help them find better jobs and become financially independent. Morover, people with sufficiant money can support charities and help poor familiesin their communities. However, earning too much money should not become the main goal of life . Spending excessive time at work can affect people's health and family relationships. Therefore, people should maintain a balance between earning money and enjoying their lives.

In conclusion, moeny is essential it beacause it helps people fulfil their basic needs, prepare for emergenciesand improve their future. Nevertheless, happiness also depends on good health, family relationships and personl satisfaction.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

The response gives a clear opinion that improving a difficult situation is preferable, but it does not adequately discuss both views in the question. Most of the essay explains the benefits of having money—meeting basic needs, investing in education, and helping others—rather than explaining why someone might accept an unsatisfactory job or financial hardship. The brief caution that excessive work can harm health and relationships is relevant, but it does not develop the case for accepting a bad situation. The conclusion also focuses on money’s importance instead of bringing the two perspectives together. To strengthen the response, explain reasons for acceptance, such as stability or limited alternatives, and support both sides before reaffirming your position.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The essay has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion, and signposts such as “Firstly,” “Secondly,” and “In conclusion” make the sequence easy to follow. However, the progression is not consistently aligned with the task: both body paragraphs mainly develop the advantages of money, so the two requested views are not clearly organised as contrasting arguments. The transition “However” introduces a useful qualification about work-life balance, but this point is brief and not connected to the view of accepting a difficult situation. Some links between ideas are also mechanical. Organise the body around the two perspectives, and use references and transitions to show how each argument relates to the question.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “basic needs,” “financial security,” “unexpected expenses,” “financially independent,” and “family relationships.” These phrases help communicate the main points, and the meaning is generally clear. However, spelling errors and inaccurate word forms are noticeable, for example “belive,” “moeny,” “recieve,” “grater,” “sufficiant,” and “personl.” Some expressions are also imprecise or awkward, such as “provide a better life” and “more opportunity,” which would be clearer as “improve their family’s quality of life” and “more opportunities.” Aim to check spelling carefully and choose precise collocations; a broader range of language for discussing acceptance and improvement would also make the response more task-focused.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

There is a useful mix of simple and complex sentence forms, and several sentences are controlled well, such as “People who earn a reasonable income can provide a better life for their families” and the sentence beginning “Although” is not needed to express the contrast in the final body paragraph. The response also uses subordinate clauses and examples effectively. Some grammatical and punctuation errors remain, including the missing comma in “In conclusion, money is essential,” the run-on construction “money is essential it because,” and the missing space in “emergenciesand.” The sentence “Some people believe … while other think” also needs plural agreement (“others think”). These issues do not usually prevent understanding, but proofreading sentence boundaries, agreement and punctuation would improve control. Continue using varied structures while checking each sentence for a complete, correctly linked clause.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.