Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-04
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)
It is common to see that the debate between accepting bad situation and improve such situation. Many people feel that when people face any type of bad situation such as an unsatisfactory job or shortage of money this they should accept this moment. It is argued by other that they should try to improve their situation. This essay will discuss why people should accept the moment and why their should be try to enhance.
On the one hand, A growing number of people believe that accept a bad situation has a significant impact on it is reduce stress and help people remain emotionally stable. It is their view that it is help to people adjust any situation. As a result when any accept bad moment like job or money shortage it is help to stay happy with their family member without hassle. Another common belief about if people adapt their unsatisfactory job it support their mental stress and consistent to personal and professional life. As a consequence it's minimize lonely and depression feeling.
On the other hand, Some argue that people should be try face this difficulties and try to improve for their better qualitiful life. They claim that hard work and determination often lead to better opportunity. This may lead to high quality job and a better standard of living. There is also an argument that if people fight their difficult situation it growth confidence and long-term success. Take my brother as an example: when they finished their graduation this time they suffer job crisis, but they do not give up also try his best and after three months he achieve a good qualityful job.
In my personal opinion, I believe people should try to improve bad situations whenever possible, although accepting temporary difficulties can sometimes be necessary.
In conclusion, although some people believe that accepting difficult situation can provide stability and reduce stress, I believe that making efforts to improve such circumstances is a better approach. Personally, I think if focus on both purpose with the right attitude, this should be an absolutely amazing experience for them.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both views and provides a clear personal opinion, meeting the requirements of the prompt. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For example, the argument for accepting bad situations is repetitive, focusing mainly on 'stress' and 'stability' without exploring the nuance of when acceptance might be a strategic choice. Similarly, the counter-argument relies on a single personal anecdote about a brother, which lacks the depth expected for a Band 7+ response. While the position is clear, the supporting arguments would benefit from more detailed explanation and broader examples to fully explore the implications of each perspective.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas from the introduction to the conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion', which help guide the reader. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly inaccurate, such as 'Another common belief about if people adapt...'. Additionally, referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the use of 'it' in 'it is help to people adjust any situation', which makes the flow of sentences slightly disjointed. Improved control over linking phrases would enhance the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are several instances of awkward word choices or non-standard collocations, such as 'qualitiful life', 'good qualityful job', and 'it's minimize lonely and depression feeling'. These errors occasionally impede the reader's understanding. While the student attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'unsatisfactory job' and 'professional life', the range is limited. To achieve a higher band, the student should focus on using more natural collocations and avoiding the creation of non-existent words like 'qualitiful'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there is a high frequency of grammatical errors. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('it is help to people', 'they should be try face'), incorrect verb forms ('it growth confidence'), and missing articles or prepositions. While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors are noticeable and detract from the overall quality of the writing. The student needs to focus on basic sentence construction, particularly the correct use of auxiliary verbs and tense consistency, to improve accuracy and reach a higher band level.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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