Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-30

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 an ongoing argument about wheather accepting the worst situations that may be an unsatisfactory job or lack of money is the best decision or trying hard to improve this situation

is better. In this essay, I will examine both perspectives before explaining why I believe people should try to improve their condition because it gives them mental satisfaction.

On the one hand, one of the primary reasons why people believe in accepting situations is the responsibility of their family. There are many people who are the only earning member in their family. So, even though the job they are doing is not satisfactory, they have no chance to quit the job. Also, if they do not get habituated with their condition, they will may stressed. Therefore, they find it easier to accept this condition. For instance, a person who has a low salary job may be relaxed when they think about an unemployed person who do not able to earn a single penny.

On the other hand, people argue that they should try their best to improve their present condition. That is because, if they attempt, they may get chance to improve their situation. Individuals who are not happy with their current job, they may try to apply other companies that offer higher salaries. Without trying, how they will know what they can achieve or not. Furthermore, trying to get their desire job provides them mental satisfaction. Otherwise, they may become depressed by thinking that they are doing nothing to overcome this bad situation.

In conclusion, although accepting a bad situation helps people to carry out their responsibilty, I believe mental satisfaction is also necessary. So, they should try to improve their condition.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both views and state a clear opinion: the introduction favours trying to improve one’s circumstances, and the conclusion repeats that mental satisfaction matters. The family-responsibility explanation and the example of a low-paid worker also support the acceptance view. However, several points are asserted rather than developed. For example, the claim that people may become stressed if they do not accept their situation needs explanation, and the argument for changing jobs would be stronger with a specific example or a clearer account of possible benefits and risks. The response therefore covers the task, but the two sides are not explored equally fully. Extend each main idea with a reason and a relevant, specific illustration.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. Signposting such as “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” makes the progression easy to follow. Within paragraphs, however, connections can feel mechanical, particularly through repeated “So,” “Also,” and “Therefore.” Some references are also unclear: “this situation” and “this condition” are used several times without always specifying whether they mean low pay, an unsatisfactory job, or the wider circumstances. The sentence beginning “Individuals who are not happy with their current job” also lacks a clear grammatical link to the following clause, disrupting the flow. Use more precise referencing and connect each supporting sentence explicitly to its main point.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to discuss employment, finances, and personal wellbeing, including “earning member,” “higher salaries,” and “mental satisfaction.” There are also attempts at less common expressions, such as “primary reasons” and “overcome this bad situation.” However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, which limits precision: “get habituated with their condition,” “desire job,” and “low salary job” do not express the intended ideas naturally. Spelling errors such as “wheather” and “responsibilty” are noticeable, and “condition” is repeated frequently. Build a more accurate range of collocations for work and financial circumstances, and check spelling and word forms during revision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex structures, including a concession with “even though” and conditional clauses such as “if they attempt, they may get chance.” The overall meaning is generally understandable, but some errors in sentence structure, verb forms, agreement, and articles remain. For example, “they will may stressed” combines incompatible modal forms, while “a person … may be relaxed when they think about an unemployed person who do not able to earn” contains agreement and verb-form problems. “Individuals who are not happy with their current job, they may try” also has a faulty clause structure. Practise forming conditional sentences and relative clauses accurately, and check that each sentence has a clear subject and correctly formed verb.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.