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)

It is often discussed that many individuals believe that it is best to agree a terrible situation, such as not having a good job or having lesser money. However, others have a different opinion they wanted to retry and improve such awful situation. In this essay i will discuss both different views of citizens. In my view, trying for betterment is far more better option than to accept the current scenario.

Begin with first view, many job holders were not satisfied with their working terms and conditions but still want to work as they already acknowledge that situation. Same with the ones having lesser money than they desire. These kind of people happily accept and move on in life. They were stress free and do not want to work more for the better living standard. These people try to reduce their expenses rather then risen their imcomes. For example, in Pakistan many individuals such as the guards they were not happy with their jobs as salary given to them was low. But still they work in that same occupation.

Discussing second view of the citizens, they believe we should try to improve our situation. Firstly, they believe that by improving the situations their living standards will also rise. Along with that, there will be more freedom for them as they were not stuck in a loom system. They work harder while other one was relaxing.

In conclusion, I would say that improving the situation was difficult at first but once you will successful the things become eaiser for you.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.0
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both views and state a clear preference for trying to improve one’s circumstances. The first body paragraph gives a relevant example of guards in Pakistan accepting low-paid work, while the next explains that people who strive for change may improve their living standards. However, the discussion is only partially developed: the reasons for accepting hardship are mostly asserted (“They were stress free”), and the second view receives little explanation or a specific example. The conclusion repeats your preference but does not fully explain why it is stronger. Develop each side with a clear reason and a concrete illustration, and make your position consistent throughout; for example, explain when acceptance might be sensible and what practical steps could improve a difficult situation. This would make the response more complete and persuasive.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. Signposts such as “Begin with first view,” “Discussing second view,” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the intended stages. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes abrupt, and some links between ideas are unclear. For instance, “Along with that, there will be more freedom” does not explain how improving circumstances creates freedom, while “They work harder while other one was relaxing” introduces a comparison without a clear reference. The conclusion also moves quickly from difficulty to success. Use linking phrases to show cause and contrast, and make pronouns and comparisons explicit. This would make the organisation feel less mechanical and the relationships between points easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “working terms and conditions,” “living standards,” “expenses,” and “occupation.” There are also attempts to express abstract ideas, such as “current scenario” and “betterment.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, sometimes making meaning less clear. Examples include “agree a terrible situation,” “lesser money,” “retry and improve,” and “stuck in a loom system.” Spelling and word-form errors such as “imcomes” and “eaiser” also reduce accuracy. Aim for precise, natural phrases rather than translating directly: for example, “accept a difficult situation,” “earn a low income,” and “make efforts to improve their circumstances.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, including a contrast in the opening and a reason introduced by “as.” However, the range remains limited, and errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences difficult to interpret. For example, “others have a different opinion they wanted to retry” joins clauses without a suitable connector, and “once you will successful” has an incorrect verb form and structure. Tense and agreement are also inconsistent in “many job holders were not satisfied … but still want to work” and “the guards they were not happy.” Review sentence boundaries, subject–verb agreement, and consistent tense. Practise building accurate complex sentences with “although,” “because,” and “while,” checking that each clause has a clear subject and correctly formed verb.

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