Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-29

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)

To accept a bad situation can have its own pros and cons. Many individuals think that accepting the bad situation is the best option, other believe that it is essential to work on improving it. I argue that we should always try to work on improvement and not lose hope in it.

Let's take an example of a person who accepts a job offer which he doesn't want but due to some uncertain condition, he has accepted it. Now it can have positive effects like that person will be employed and can avail the perks of employment but at the same time, his brain keeps reminding him about the unsatifaction and how that job is draining him and how he has taken the bad decision which will ultimately give negative impact on his brain.

While, if a person keeps fosters on improving such conditions, it will benefit him in a lot of ways. He can search for better opportunities, and focus on his health as compare to someone who works in his comfort zone. Based on my personal experience, always a risk taker and active mind person succeed. No matter, luck is good or bad, one shouldn't stop focusing on improving things. It is infact a symbol of keeping a positive mindset.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You give a clear opinion that people should try to improve difficult circumstances, and you include a relevant example about accepting an unwanted job. However, the discussion of the opposing view is brief: you mention employment and its benefits, but do not explain why someone might reasonably choose acceptance, such as financial security or limited alternatives. Your own position is stated, yet claims such as “a risk taker and active mind person succeed” are broad and not supported with a specific example. The response therefore addresses the task only partially, with ideas that remain limited and under-developed. It is also 38 words below the required minimum, leaving less space to develop both views. Explain each perspective more fully and support your opinion with a concrete example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall arrangement: an introduction states your position, the next paragraph considers accepting an unwanted job, and the final paragraph argues for improvement. Linking expressions such as “at the same time,” “While,” and “Based on my personal experience” help signal relationships between ideas. However, the progression is not always smooth. The second paragraph moves from employment benefits to mental effects without clearly connecting the points, and the final paragraph combines several claims without developing them in a clear sequence. “While” is also used awkwardly to begin the contrast. Clearer paragraph focus, more explicit links between reasons and examples, and a concluding sentence would make the organisation more coherent and cohesion less mechanical.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “perks of employment,” “better opportunities,” “risk taker,” and “positive mindset.” These choices show an attempt to express ideas beyond very basic language. However, several inaccurate or unnatural expressions reduce precision: “unsatifaction” is misspelled, “keeps fosters on improving” is unclear, and “focus on his health as compare to someone who works in his comfort zone” does not convey the intended comparison naturally. Repetition of “bad situation,” “improving,” and “person” also limits range. Aim for accurate collocations and more precise wording, such as describing a job as “dissatisfying” or saying someone “focuses on improving their circumstances.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and complex sentences, including a relative clause in “a job offer which he doesn't want” and a contrast structure with “but at the same time.” The main ideas are generally understandable, but some sentence forms are faulty. For example, “Many individuals think …, other believe” needs a clearer sentence boundary and agreement; “if a person keeps fosters” has an incorrect verb construction; and “as compare to” is not grammatically formed. The long sentence beginning “Now it can have positive effects” also joins several ideas in a way that makes the structure difficult to follow. Practise accurate subject–verb agreement, verb patterns, and sentence boundaries while retaining your attempts at complex structures.

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