Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-21

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 argued that it is best to accept a bad situation, like an unsatisfactory job or shortage of money. In this essay I will argue that it is better to try and improve such situations.

There are several reasons why people accept bad situations of an unsatisfactory job or shortage of money. Firstly, they are afraid of telling their managers of offices that they are not happy in the job, because they fear the peer pressure of managers . As a result, they accept the unsatisfactory facilities what they get in their jobs. Secondly, some of them remain too shy and do not even ask their bosses to increase the amount of salary. In some countries, Bangladesh for example, skilled garment workers do work all over the night and they get scolded by their managers for asking about salary.

Despite the above arguments, I believe that it is better to try for improving situations like the of acceptance of unsatisfactory job or shortage of money. People should come together and need to do petetion to their bosses. If their bosses do not agree to increase salary, they should leave the job together. They, therefore, should also ask managers to improve the conditions of offices and the food. To illustrate, people in Japan do petetion to their managers asking quality food and increment of salary . Therefore, these situations should be improved so that people can always remain happy.

In conclusion, while some argue that it is best to accept a bad situation, such as unsatisfactory job or shortage of money, I believe that it is better to improve the situation because people can become happier with the office facilities and increment the money.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The essay addresses both parts of the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you provide examples like garment workers in Bangladesh and workers in Japan, the reasoning remains a bit simplistic. To reach a higher band, ensure that your arguments are more thoroughly explored rather than just stated. For instance, instead of just mentioning that people are 'too shy', you could elaborate on the psychological or systemic barriers that prevent individuals from advocating for themselves. The conclusion is a bit repetitive and does not fully synthesize the arguments presented in the body paragraphs.

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 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'Despite the above arguments', and 'In conclusion' to link your points. However, some transitions feel mechanical, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. For example, the sentence 'They, therefore, should also ask managers...' feels slightly disconnected from the previous point about collective action. Additionally, the use of referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the phrase 'the of acceptance of unsatisfactory job', which disrupts the flow of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. You rely on repetitive phrasing, such as 'unsatisfactory job or shortage of money', which appears multiple times. There are also some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'do petetion' (should be 'file a petition' or 'petition their bosses') and 'increment the money' (should be 'salary increment' or 'pay rise'). To improve, try to incorporate more varied synonyms and academic collocations to express your ideas with greater sophistication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include missing articles ('the amount of salary'), incorrect preposition use, and awkward phrasing like 'do work all over the night'. There are also errors in word formation, such as 'petetion' (spelling) and 'increment the money'. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct article usage will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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