Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-17
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)
Many people believe that, doing an unsatisfactory job or shortage of money is the best way to accept the situation to continue the life, while others argue that it is better to try and improve situations. In this passage i will discuss both the views and i believe that trying for better situation is the best option.
on the one hand, as the technology grew the level of unemployment has been increased and the jobs becomes difficult to find. The unemployment can ultimately leads to the shortage of money, as well as leads to unsatisfaction in the work. For instance, the individual who struggles with the shortage of money, they can not leave the job even if they are not satisfied with that job. As those individuals have to fulfill their daily basic requirement which can not possible without earning money on daily basis without job.
On the other hand, the better to overcome from this situation is by trying the new ways that can give you satisfaction in job and money. For example, if a person is not feel enough of earning money in job or not feel satisfied by doing work under someone or any other reason, therefor they can try to start their own business to ear money in large amount. However in business, they have to have enough confident and patience to get money and satisfaction in work, because business is all about slow and steady growth after long period of hard work.
From my perspective, i believe that it's better to try a new start up in life to get satisfied with the basic needs of life which is money and work, than accepting the unsatisfactory work or shortage of money.
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 regarding the 'shortage of money' is repetitive and lacks depth, focusing primarily on the inability to leave a job without exploring the psychological or societal implications of accepting a bad situation. The second body paragraph introduces the idea of starting a business, but the explanation of how this overcomes the initial problem is slightly underdeveloped. To reach a higher band, you should provide more nuanced examples and ensure that the link between your arguments and the prompt is more robustly established.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'on the one hand', 'on the other hand', and 'for instance' to link your points. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical, and there are instances where the flow is interrupted by awkward phrasing, such as 'the better to overcome from this situation is by trying'. Additionally, some referencing is unclear, such as the use of 'they' in the second paragraph, which makes it difficult to track the subject. Improving the variety and naturalness of your linking words would enhance the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. You rely on repetitive phrasing, such as 'shortage of money' and 'unsatisfactory job', which appear multiple times. There are also some errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'ear money in large amount' (should be 'earn a significant income') and 'not feel enough of earning money'. While the meaning is clear, the range is limited, and you should aim to incorporate more sophisticated synonyms and idiomatic expressions to demonstrate a broader lexical range.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of reading. Examples include 'the jobs becomes difficult' (subject-verb agreement), 'the unemployment can ultimately leads to' (incorrect verb form), and 'which can not possible' (missing verb). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While you attempt complex structures, they are often faulty. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring that your complex sentences are constructed with correct auxiliary verbs and prepositions.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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