Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-27

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)

Certain individuals think that it is better to accept a wrong situation, such as an uncomfortable work or lack of funds. Others put forward their opinion that improving such situations and trying again is much beneficial. In my opinion, indulging more efforts will definitely provide positive results.

On the one side of the argument, there are various people who argue that accepting bad situations is much easier in contrast to improving. The most compelling reason for believing this is that, sometimes individuals don’t have enough intelligence or techniques to deal with that situation So, trying again and again is completely meaningless for them. For instance, dealing with situations without necessary knowledge or resources will lead to no change and sometimes can result in making more mistakes. As a result, accepting situations are helpful for individuals who cannot deal with it or afraid of making more mistakes.

On the other hand, many people believe that trying and working on problems will help in creating positive results because without making efforts no situation can be improved. However, trying repeatedly increases chance of success and help the individual to learn from their past mistakes.

Despite the above arguments, I am of the view that indulging effort and trying again is better choice.

Indeed, one reason why i take this position is that to become successful efforts, motivation, and retrying is necessary because every successful person have failed numerous times in their work. Therefore, the main reason of their success was they learned from their mistakes and never stopped trying which resulted in improving thier knowledge and performing much better.

In conclusion, although both views are commonly held in society, I believe that improving situation is better choice because efforts and learning makes person success instead of not doing anything

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 limited. For instance, the argument for accepting bad situations is supported by the idea of a lack of 'intelligence or techniques,' which is a bit narrow. The second body paragraph is quite brief and lacks specific examples or deeper analysis to fully support the claim that effort leads to success. While the position is consistent, the supporting arguments would benefit from more depth and elaboration to reach a higher band. The conclusion is also quite abrupt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, and there is a logical progression of ideas. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'On the one side,' 'On the other hand,' and 'In conclusion,' which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are a bit mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence 'accepting situations are helpful for individuals who cannot deal with it,' where the pronoun 'it' lacks a clear singular antecedent. Overall, the structure is coherent, but the flow between sentences could be more natural.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. There are some awkward collocations, such as 'indulging more efforts' and 'uncomfortable work.' The range of vocabulary is somewhat repetitive, relying on basic terms like 'good,' 'bad,' and 'better.' To improve, you should aim to use more sophisticated synonyms and precise collocations related to the topic of personal development and problem-solving. Spelling errors, such as 'thier,' also occur, though they do not impede communication.

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 frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'every successful person have failed') and article usage (e.g., 'improving situation is better choice'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some missing commas and a missing period after 'situation.' The control of grammar is sufficient for communication, but the frequency of errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for basic agreement and article errors would be beneficial.

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