Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-07-27

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 views and give your own opinion.

 

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Some people think accept bad situation is good. Like bad job or no money. Other people say must improve situation. I will discuss both side and my opinion.First, accept bad thing is easy. If job is bad, you just work. No stress to find new job. Many people have no money in world. They cannot change because world is difficult. If you accept, you are happy with small thing. My friend have bad job but he stay because he like routine. So accept is good for some people.Second, change situation is better. If you have no money, you must work hard. Go to school or find a bad job its not needA bad job makes you sad everyday. Life is short, so you change it. For example, my uncle change his bad job and now he have big company and much money. Change give more opportunity for future.In my opinion, improve is the best. Accept bad job is lazy. We must try hard for life. Money is very important for family. If you do not try, you never get good life. So always try to make situation better.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the essay is significantly under the 250-word minimum requirement, which severely limits the development of ideas. While the prompt is addressed, the arguments are presented in a very simplistic manner with limited supporting evidence. For instance, the example of the uncle is relevant but lacks the depth required for a higher band. To improve, you must expand your points with more detailed explanations, hypothetical scenarios, or broader societal implications to meet the length requirement and demonstrate a more thorough exploration of the topic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the progression of ideas is quite basic. Cohesive devices are used, but they are often repetitive or mechanical, such as starting sentences with 'First' and 'Second'. There is a lack of sophisticated linking words to connect ideas within and between sentences. To improve, try using a wider variety of transition signals (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'in contrast') and ensure that your sentences flow more naturally into one another rather than feeling like a list of separate statements.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is limited and repetitive, relying on basic terms like 'bad', 'good', and 'change'. There are instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'accept bad thing is easy' and 'its not need'. The range is insufficient to express complex ideas with precision. To reach a higher band, you should focus on learning collocations and more academic vocabulary related to the topic, such as 'resilience', 'professional advancement', 'financial stability', or 'circumstantial limitations'. Expanding your vocabulary will help you convey your arguments with more nuance and clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay relies heavily on simple sentence structures. There are frequent grammatical errors, including missing articles ('in world', 'for life'), subject-verb agreement issues ('my friend have', 'my uncle change'), and tense inconsistencies. Punctuation is also inconsistent, which occasionally makes the text difficult to follow. To improve, you need to practice forming complex sentences using subordinating conjunctions (e.g., 'although', 'because', 'if'). Focusing on basic accuracy, such as ensuring correct verb forms and article usage, will significantly improve the readability of your writing.

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