Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-16

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 concurrent times, people never puts an effort to improve themselves but just want to accept it, as it is. Some people believe that it is okay to accept a bad situation, while others argue that it would be better to try and improve such conditions. This essay will put the lights on both the points of view and will discuss more about it.

On the one hand, accepting a situation is not a bad decision but each individual have their own boundaries and limits. After surpassing those limits, people cannot tolerate much about it and usually crashes out. For instance, some critical conditions may put anyone in the danger. Moreover, situations like unsatisfactory job, underpaying employed with lots of potential, shortage of money, financial crisis at home, etc. are very hard to tackle, but it does not mean to accept it. The one must have to fight for it to bring a solid outcome.

On the other hand, I believe that it is much better to try and fail rather than accepting it, as it was before. To achieve something, the one must have to sacrifice on behalf of it. In addition, the people who works very hard taking responsibility for their family and their work, should not think about the outcome. There is a very good quote by Napeloen Bon'aparte which says,"Failure is greater than victory", which means to try and fail on something which is out of the box is better than having an achievement in the things we are used to do.

To conclude, I inferred that trying and failing make us improve to overcome such situations but to accept it is not a proper solution.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both views and make your preference clear: the essay contrasts accepting difficult circumstances with trying to improve them, and the conclusion favours taking action. However, the discussion is only partly developed. The first body paragraph begins by defending acceptance through personal limits, but then shifts to arguing that people should fight their circumstances, so the view is not explained consistently. The second paragraph gives a general claim about sacrifice and effort, but does not show clearly how these help with an unsatisfactory job or financial hardship. The Napoleon quotation is also unclear and does not provide a convincing example. Develop each side with a specific reason or relevant example, and state your position more directly from the introduction onward.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, two body paragraphs signposted by “On the one hand” and “On the other hand,” and a conclusion. This helps readers identify the intended discussion. However, progression within the paragraphs is uneven: the first body paragraph moves from accepting limits to saying people must fight for change, which blurs its main point. Some links are mechanical or unclear, including “Moreover” before a list that does not clearly support the preceding idea, and “In addition” before a loosely connected statement about responsibility. The conclusion repeats the preference without drawing together the two views. Give each paragraph one clear purpose, connect examples explicitly to its main claim, and use referencing and transitions more precisely.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You attempt a range of topic-related vocabulary, including “unsatisfactory job,” “shortage of money,” “financial crisis,” “sacrifice,” and “outcome.” These choices make the general subject understandable. However, the range is limited by repeated general wording and several inaccurate or unnatural expressions that make meaning less clear. For example, “put the lights on both the points of view” and “underpaying employed with lots of potential” are not natural ways to express the intended ideas; “crashes out” is also imprecise in this context. There are spelling and form problems in “Napeloen Bon'aparte.” Build a more reliable set of collocations for discussing hardship and change, and check that each phrase conveys the intended meaning in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You use both simple statements and attempts at longer, linked sentences, such as the sentence beginning “Moreover, situations like…” and the clause “which means to try and fail…”. However, complex constructions are often faulty, and errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences difficult to follow. Examples include “people never puts” and “each individual have,” where subject–verb agreement is incorrect, and “the one must have to fight,” which combines forms awkwardly. The sentence about people who work hard also has agreement problems (“people who works”) and an unclear structure. Review agreement, articles, and modal constructions, and practise building complex sentences around one clear main clause. More accurate sentence patterns would make your ideas easier to understand.

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