Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-25

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 modern life, many people think that it is better to be content with a bad situation, As an unpleasant job or not enough money. Others argue that they should try and improve the situations. I personally lean towards improving situations and trying another ways.

On one hand, there are several reasons why people believe that you should accept the bad situation. Firstly, be content with the job immediately and start working can save your time and money. For instance, if the person struggling with luck of money and he/she has a long time looking for a job, then hardly find it, he/she accept it without wasting more time. Another reason, reduce stress and worries about the work. For example, searching for a job is such a stressful thing so when you find the job even it is not that good you feel less disconcerting.

On the other hand, I side with those who think that it is much better to try and improve situation because of some reasons. First reason is high income instead of shortage of money. To give an example, you argue about your income with the employer and try to get a good salary or look for another job that can be satisfying. In addition, you will be contented and mentally stable about your job. Example, you just graduated and want a work in the same field as you, it is so much satisfied to find a job that you like.

To conclude, while both view have their merits, I firmly believe that looking for improve situations is more effective because, it has benefits such as, high salary, less stress and mentally stable.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You discuss both views and make your own position clear: you support trying to improve a difficult situation. The reasons are relevant, including saving time and reducing stress by accepting available work, and seeking better pay or a more suitable career. However, several points are asserted rather than fully explained. For example, the claim that accepting a job reduces stress would be stronger if you explained how this compares with the uncertainty of continuing a job search. The examples about negotiating salary and finding work in one’s field are also brief and somewhat general. Develop each main idea with a clearer explanation and a specific, realistic example so that all parts of the discussion are addressed more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. Signposting such as “On one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “To conclude” helps readers follow the discussion. Within paragraphs, however, progression is sometimes mechanical, with repeated sequences such as “Firstly,” “Another reason,” and “For example.” Some links between ideas are also unclear; for instance, the connection between accepting a job and “save your time and money” needs to be explained. The conclusion repeats benefits rather than drawing the discussion together. Use a wider range of natural transitions and make the relationship between each reason and its example explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “shortage of money,” “salary,” “stress,” and “mentally stable.” There are also attempts at more specific expressions, such as “same field” and “unsatisfactory job.” However, noticeable word-choice, collocation, and word-form errors sometimes make the meaning awkward: “luck of money,” “less disconcerting,” “try another ways,” and “so much satisfied” are not natural in these contexts. “Content” is also repeated, and some phrases remain vague, such as “improve situations.” Build a more precise range of employment and financial vocabulary, and check that words combine naturally—for example, use “financial difficulties” and “feel more secure” where appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including conditional examples beginning “if” and clauses introduced by “because.” However, control is uneven, and errors in sentence structure, verb forms, agreement, articles, and punctuation are frequent enough to make some sentences difficult to follow. For example, “be content with the job immediately and start working can save” lacks a clear grammatical subject, while “he/she accept it” needs a correctly formed verb. The sentence beginning “For instance, if the person…” also shifts awkwardly between clauses. Practise building complete sentences with clear subjects and consistent verb forms, and review comma use and sentence boundaries. More accurate control of these patterns would make your ideas easier to understand.

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