Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-27

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)

People have different views about whether it is better to accept an unsatisfactory situation such as unpleasant job and financial difficulties, or to take an action to improve it . While some people thought that it is good to accept such circumstances, I believe that making efforts to improve them is generally more important .

On one hand, accepting a difficult situation can be a practical choice .Some situation are beyond the person control, and continuously worrying about them can cause a stress .For example, if someone is facing temporary financial problem , he have to accept an unsatisfactory job or any revenue source to manage his difficult financial situations. Therefore, acceptance can ne useful if immediate change is not possible.

On the other hand , improving such situations is a better choice .At first , in insufficient period , if there is no satisfactory source of income is available ,you should accept it. However, you should improve your skills and learn new courses to get yourself a good opportunity. For example, if someone is doing an inadequate job which he do not likes, he should learn new skills and get further education to obtain a better paying job . Although these changes require much time and effort.

In my opinion ,if better opportunities for beneficial income are not provided ,you should accept an unsatisfactory job at first to support your family finances .Also you should work hard to get a better situation.

Overall, acceptance can help people to deal with unavoidable difficulties but taking action can be a better approach.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You discuss both views and state a consistent preference for trying to improve difficult circumstances, while recognising that accepting a job temporarily may be necessary. The examples about financial pressure and gaining skills are relevant to the question. However, the discussion is only partly developed: the first view is explained mainly as a response to circumstances that cannot be changed immediately, and the second relies on a general example rather than showing clearly how someone could improve their situation. Your opinion also shifts slightly between accepting a job “at first” and saying action is the better approach. Explain the limits of acceptance and give more specific support for your preferred view to make the response more complete and convincing.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a concluding opinion. Signposts such as “On one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “Overall” help readers follow the discussion. The progression is generally understandable, but some links are mechanical or unclear. For instance, “At first” does not clearly connect the point about insufficient income to the recommendation to improve skills, and “Although these changes require much time and effort” is left as a fragment rather than linked to the preceding idea. The conclusion repeats the main contrast without adding much synthesis. Use more precise transitions and connect each example directly to the point it supports.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “financial difficulties,” “temporary financial problem,” “improve your skills,” and “better paying job.” This gives you enough range to communicate the main ideas, and some phrases show an attempt to discuss employment and financial circumstances specifically. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “take an action,” “a stress,” “revenue source,” and “beneficial income.” There are also spelling errors, including “ne useful,” and repeated use of broad terms such as “situation” and “good.” Aim for more natural combinations and precise wording—for example, “take action,” “a source of income,” and “a better-paid job”—and proofread spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including a conditional example (“if someone is facing…”) and a concessive clause beginning “Although.” Most of the meaning remains understandable, but errors in agreement, articles, verb forms, and sentence construction recur. Examples include “Some situation are,” “he have to accept,” and “a job which he do not likes.” The final sentence of the third body paragraph, “Although these changes require much time and effort,” is a dependent clause without a main clause. There are also inconsistent spaces before punctuation, which makes the writing less controlled. Practise checking subject–verb agreement and complete sentence structure, and revise complex sentences to ensure each clause is grammatically connected.

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