Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-26

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)

There is a continuing debate about a certain situation regarding acceptance to anybody's fate. They say, when bad omen happens it is best to accept experiences such as unsatisfactory job or shortage of money. While in contrary, others defended that it is way better to show courage and manifest improvements from such endeavor. In this essay, I will elaborate more on these two opposing point of views.

On one hand, job dismay or lack of money are considered a bad experience. That being said, these miserable luck deserves acceptance rather than fighting for it. For instance, there are some hopeless people who believes mediocrisy. There is no need to fight for their dreams if you do not have money with many downfall. For them, it is more acceptable to not continue as they might be afraid for another rejections. It is believe that money is powerful. Applying jobs utilizes money however, there instances that being luck is not for everybody.

On the other hand, courage and determination after the storm are necessary to start a new life. Embodying these qualities makes a person strong and confident. For example, life is to short to end our aspirations. Instead of wasting time, trying again does not need money. It needs determination to succeed. Who knows in the future, the stars may allign and leads to beautiful destinations.

In my perspective, I believe that being firm against all odds is an essential quality people should live in their entire life. Moreover, problems are inevitable, they are always coming around unannounced. Being strong and motivated will be the best armour whenever obstacles arrived.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address both views and state a clear preference for trying to improve difficult circumstances, especially in the final paragraph: “being firm against all odds” is presented as essential. However, the discussion is only partially developed. The acceptance view is described mainly through fear of rejection and lack of money, but the essay does not explain when acceptance might be sensible or beneficial. The improvement view is also supported by broad claims such as “trying again does not need money,” without a specific example showing how someone could act. Some points are unclear, including “there are some hopeless people who believes mediocrisy.” Develop each side with a clear reason and a relevant, concrete example, and make your position explicit earlier as well as in the conclusion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a concluding opinion. Signposts such as “On one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In my perspective” help readers follow the broad direction. This coherent overall arrangement supports the discussion. However, connections within paragraphs are sometimes mechanical or unclear. For example, “That being said” does not clearly explain how the following claim about accepting bad luck follows from the opening sentence, and “While in contrary” is an awkward transition. Some references, such as “it” in “there is no need to fight for their dreams,” are not fully clear. Use transitions that express the precise relationship between ideas, and organise each body paragraph around a reason followed by explanation and an example.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You attempt a range of vocabulary related to hardship and perseverance, including “unsatisfactory job,” “courage,” “determination,” “aspirations,” and “obstacles.” These choices make the topic clear, and phrases such as “strong and confident” are appropriate. However, several noticeable word-choice and collocation errors make parts difficult to interpret: “acceptance to anybody’s fate,” “job dismay,” “miserable luck,” and “manifest improvements from such endeavor” are not natural expressions in this context. “Mediocrisy” also appears to be an inaccurate word choice. Spelling errors such as “allign” further reduce accuracy. Build a reliable set of natural phrases for discussing acceptance and change, and check that each less-common word fits its sentence.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You use both simple sentences and some attempts at more complex structures, including “Instead of wasting time, trying again does not need money” and “Being strong and motivated will be the best armour whenever obstacles arrived.” The overall meaning is usually recoverable, but the range is limited and errors occur frequently, sometimes making relationships between ideas difficult to follow. Examples include “these miserable luck deserves,” where the subject and verb do not agree, and “there are some hopeless people who believes,” where the relative clause has incorrect agreement. Other problems include “life is to short” and the tense mismatch in “whenever obstacles arrived.” Practise subject–verb agreement, articles, verb forms, and sentence boundaries. Aim for accurate complex sentences rather than adding complexity before the basic structure is secure.

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