Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-14

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)

Set of individuals believe that it is the best to accepting our lifestyle whether it is good or bad, meanwhile other people think that is improving situation by working hard. In this essay will discuss both the view before explaining why people should try to improve their situation.

On the one hand, a person health and wealth is mostly depend on the job they do because it the one which give them earn money to support their family and cover their daily expenses. Additionally, working in a unsatisfactory job may cause stress and depressing because of work load, and that have been major impact on their health. As a consequence, the income is greatly affected and it becomes hard to manage their monthly expenses.

On the other hand, when people try to enhance themselves they need to face many difficulties, which have the chances of make their current financial condition more better. For instance, when a person leaves their job to achieve success in their goal, they should be ready to face all the problems which would annoy them until they achieve their desire lifestyle. Likewise, someone experiencing financial difficulties could learn about budgeting, seek additional sources of income or acquire skills that increase their earning potential. Taking such actions may require effort and patience, but they can ultimately improve a person's quality of life.

In my opinion, people should not passively accept an unsatisfactory situation when there are realistic ways to improve it.

In conclusion, while accepting a bad situation can reduce stress and provide short-term stability, trying to improve it offers greater potential for long-term progress.

AI examiner evaluation

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 uneven. The first body paragraph is slightly confusing, as it discusses the impact of a job on health and wealth but does not clearly link this to the 'accepting a bad situation' argument. The second paragraph is better developed, offering concrete examples of how to improve one's situation. To reach a higher band, ensure that each paragraph directly supports the specific viewpoint mentioned in the prompt. The introduction is also a bit weak in its phrasing, which slightly impacts the clarity of the overall position.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and there are occasional issues with referencing and sentence flow, such as in the opening sentence where the phrasing is awkward. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and the central topic of each paragraph is generally easy to follow, contributing to a coherent overall structure.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are several instances of awkward word choices or incorrect collocations, such as 'make their current financial condition more better' (a double comparative error) and 'depressing' used as a noun instead of 'depression'. While the student attempts to use some topic-specific vocabulary like 'financial condition' and 'earning potential', the range is limited. To improve, the student should focus on using more sophisticated synonyms and ensuring correct word forms are used in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of reading, such as 'Set of individuals believe' (missing article), 'it the one which give them earn money' (incorrect verb form), and 'that have been major impact' (missing article). While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors in subject-verb agreement and article usage prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. More attention to proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy is required.

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

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