Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-03

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 6.5)

Comparing life to a rollercoaster is always a good analogy. There will always be hardship and suffering, as much as there will be happiness and laughter. However, life is too short to accept bad situations or scenarios.

Challenges such as an unsatisfactory job or shortage of money are possible to overcome. If one were to give up when faced with such problems, they would be wasting their potential, consequently living a depressed life. Undoubtedly, there are a variety of problems that are not in control of humans, in such cases it is always better to accept the reality. However, situations that are possible to be taken care of should not be accepted this easily.

One of my dearest friends, Bilal, recently came under immense financial stress. While his parents are entirely dependent on him, Bilal has never stopped providing for his wife and daughter. But recently, his expenses grew exponentially which had adverse effects on his mental health. Regardless of that, instead of accepting his deterioating state, he worked harder to found alternate sources of income that would somewhat reduce the strain and eventually improve the quality of life style.

At the same time, Awaleen, a cousin of mine has made peace with the fact that he will never get good grades only because he can't. That has resulted in the person being the lowest in class with having little or no interest in studying. Furthermore, he never enjoys happening events nor does he ever participate in anything. The root cause behind this is that he has accepted his poor academic performance which negatively impacts his day to day activities.

I believe the beginning of a man's downfall is the moment he accepts his exacerbating conditions. Thus, preventing him from taking risks and coming out of his comfort zone. It will always be rewarding to work harder for improvement because there will always be room for betterment.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address both views and state a clear preference for trying to improve difficult circumstances, especially in the conclusion: “It will always be rewarding to work harder for improvement.” The examples about Bilal’s financial pressure and Awaleen’s acceptance of poor grades make the discussion relevant and personal. However, the view that acceptance can be appropriate is only briefly acknowledged in the second paragraph, and the distinction between accepting what cannot be controlled and taking action where change is possible could be explained more fully. Awaleen’s example also focuses on academic performance rather than either situation named in the prompt, so its relevance to the broader issue needs a clearer link. Develop both sides more evenly and explain the reasoning behind each example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate examples, and a concluding opinion. Paragraphs generally have a central focus, and transitions such as “However,” “Regardless of that,” and “Furthermore” help readers follow the discussion. This gives the essay a coherent progression. Some connections are less smooth, though: the shift from Bilal’s financial difficulties to Awaleen’s grades is abrupt, and the final paragraph moves from the examples to a broad claim about “a man’s downfall” without explicitly drawing together the two views. A few references, including “That” in the Awaleen paragraph, could be made more precise. Use a linking sentence to explain how each example supports the argument, and make the conclusion synthesise the discussion rather than simply restating the preference.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range of vocabulary and attempt some less common expressions, including “immense financial stress,” “adverse effects,” “exacerbating conditions,” and “comfort zone.” These choices help convey the seriousness of the examples, and the meaning remains clear. At times, however, word choice or collocation is inaccurate or unnatural: “deterioating state,” “worked harder to found alternate sources,” and “happening events” do not express the intended ideas naturally. There are also spelling errors, such as “deterioating,” which reduce accuracy. Aim for precise, conventional collocations rather than choosing elevated wording that does not fit the context. Proofreading for spelling and checking phrases in context would make your vocabulary more controlled and flexible.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including conditional structures (“If one were to give up…”) and a concessive clause beginning “Regardless of that.” Most sentences communicate the intended meaning, and the range supports discussion of causes and consequences. Some grammatical errors remain. For example, “a cousin of mine has made peace” is followed by “he,” but the sentence structure around “only because he can’t” is awkward; “the lowest in class with having little or no interest” also has an incorrect construction. In the final paragraph, “Thus, preventing him…” is a sentence fragment rather than a complete sentence. Review clause structure, agreement and sentence boundaries, and revise fragments into complete sentences. Greater control of these forms would make the argument easier to read.

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