Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-03
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 views and give your own opinion.
Student answer (Band 5.5)
Contentment in life is important but changing one's situation drives motivation and courage. Few suggest that accepting unfortunate situations like substandard job and financial constraints is the best approach. Whereas other claims that one should try to improve his circumstances. This essay will discuss both view and present my opinion.
Some people think that everything that happens in life is destined and we should simply accept it as our fate. Moreover, accepting one's circumstances is widely seen as being content and to be thankful whatever little or imperfect they have. For example, some groups of people believe that less money causes less trouble and striving for more is being ungrateful. Such approach discourages hard work and growth.
The desire to improve one's life is not very uncommon. A lot of people believe that life is like a blank page, and everyone write their story with their efforts, hard work and dedication. Individuals should strive to make their life better and to enjoy it to fullest. For example, if a person is stuck in a bad job and he takes the action, look for better ones he will one day find and that will be the changing point in his life.
In my opinion, everyone has the right to live a comfortable life and that comes with effort. People should have desire to improve and must overcome challenges to achieve their goals. Otherwise, life would be boring and monotonous.
In conclusion, Despite the fact that people accept their bad situations as their fate it is highly recommended to make ones life better and enjoy all the luxuries of life.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both views and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument for accepting one's situation is briefly explained as 'destiny' or 'contentment,' but lacks depth. Similarly, the argument for improvement is supported by a generic example of a 'bad job.' While the task is addressed, the ideas could be extended with more specific reasoning or real-world examples to reach a higher band. The position is consistent throughout, but the conclusion is slightly repetitive of the introduction rather than synthesizing the main points effectively.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear central topic. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Moreover,' 'For example,' and 'In conclusion,' though some transitions feel a bit mechanical. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the connection between sentences could be smoother. For example, the transition between the second and third paragraphs is abrupt. Referencing is generally clear, but there are minor issues with pronoun usage, such as 'everyone write their story' (should be 'writes'). Overall, the structure is functional and supports the reader's understanding.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their meaning clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'financial constraints,' 'monotonous,' and 'substandard.' However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are occasional errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'less money causes less trouble' (which is a bit simplistic) and 'takes the action, look for better ones' (which is grammatically awkward). More precise and varied vocabulary would elevate the response to a higher band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that persist throughout the text. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('everyone write their story'), missing articles ('in bad job'), and awkward phrasing ('if a person is stuck in a bad job and he takes the action, look for better ones'). These errors do not impede communication, but they do indicate a lack of consistent control over complex structures. Increased attention to verb forms and sentence construction would improve the score.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.