Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-14

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)

It is often argued by most of the people that it is best to adopt a inadequate situation, such as an unsatisfactory job or shortage of money. While, others believe that it is better to try and develop such conditions. This essay will discuss both viewpoints and provide my personal perspective.

To commence with, those who support that it is better to accept a bad situation can have several significant benefits. One of the primary reason is focus on other priorities. To explain this viewpoint, people can find some new opportunities and get experience in their life and having a job which is not satisfied is much better to have nothing. The suitable example of this approach is that some individuals are working in private organizations and getting fixed salary and some time face issues like money shortage but if they don’t do that job they can face more struggle. Therefore, accepting this situation is much necessary from a situation in which person don’t have anything and also they can help their family members with financial needs by enjoying their current job.

On the other hand, some argue that it is better to improve such situations. One of the main arguments in favor of this perspective is that they can be able to handle such circumstances and improve their living standards. For instance, some people in well developed countries build up some new skills to be noticeable in their organization. As a result, they can earn more wages by developing their skills.

In conclusion, I believe there are some merits in both situations. According to my perspective to do better in these situations can help people to improve their life style and get respect from others.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both views: the first body paragraph explains why someone might keep an unsatisfactory job, while the second describes improving skills to earn more. Your own position appears in the conclusion, where you favour trying to improve people’s circumstances. However, the discussion is uneven and the position is not fully clear throughout: the introduction promises a personal perspective but does not state it, and the conclusion says both situations have merits before endorsing improvement. Several points also need fuller explanation. For example, the first paragraph’s claim about finding “new opportunities” is not clearly connected to accepting a bad situation, and the example mainly repeats the financial-security argument. State your view clearly from the introduction and develop each view with a more specific explanation or example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure, with an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. Transitions such as “On the other hand,” “For instance,” and “In conclusion” help signal the direction of the discussion. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes difficult to follow because ideas are joined without clear relationships. In the first body paragraph, the move from “focus on other priorities” to “new opportunities” and then to financial security is not sufficiently explained. Some linking phrases also feel mechanical, and “While” at the start of the introduction is not correctly connected to the following clause. Improve cohesion by making each paragraph’s main point explicit, then linking each example directly to that point; use pronouns and transitions only where their references are clear.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “unsatisfactory job,” “shortage of money,” “living standards,” and “developing their skills.” These choices make the general subject understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are noticeably inaccurate, which sometimes makes the intended meaning less clear. For example, “adopt a inadequate situation” does not naturally express accepting difficult circumstances, and “a job which is not satisfied” confuses the worker’s feelings with the job’s quality. “Build up some new skills to be noticeable” is also an awkward way to describe career development. Aim to learn common word partnerships and check whether a word expresses the intended meaning. More precise vocabulary would help distinguish accepting a situation from actively improving it.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple and longer sentences, including clauses introduced by “that,” “which,” and “if.” This gives the response some structural variety, and the main message is generally recoverable. However, attempts at complex sentences are often faulty, and errors in agreement, articles, verb forms, and sentence construction can make parts difficult to read. Examples include “One of the primary reason is focus,” “people … can be able to handle,” and “if they don’t do that job they can face more struggle.” The opening “While, others believe…” is also an incomplete construction, and the long sentence beginning “The suitable example…” contains several ideas without clear grammatical control. Practise building accurate clauses first, then combine them; check subject–verb agreement, articles, and punctuation when editing.

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