Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-28

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 6.5)

Some people feel it is best to accept a bad situation. Others believe that this is a stepping stone to success in future. People have different opinions on how to deal with a bad situation. Some give up and accept defeat, while others try hard and make sure that they are not consumed by a disappealing situation.

Some people work so hard in their lives that they feel nothing bad can happen to them. They feel confident in their efforts and believe in their work. Such confidence in undeniably reasonable, but life doesn't work like that. No matter the effort you take, you might still fail. Due to lack of acceptance to this fact, people tend to quit early. If a person keeps experiencing bad situations after working hard, he/she will be forced to feel that no matter the effort, the situation just gets worse. This creates an illusion in their minds that a bad situation is a sign for them to accept it and live with it.

Others argue with this belief. Many people feel that a bad situation gives you an idea of how unpredictable life is and challenges you to improve yourself. Situations like an unsatisfactory job or shortage of money makes people realise the importance of failure in reaching success. There is no limit to the effort people can put into building their lives. If we encounter a bad situation, we must realise that this occured due to the lack of effort. A bad situation motivates us to work harder to escape it and be better. Some peope encounter these bad situations in a positive way. They learn from their actions and make sure that they put emphasis on what's needed to improve such situations.

I believe that a bad situation is just another hurdle in our lives and we must tackle it in order to improve our lives. We must not simply accept it. A bad situation instills us with the willingness to fight the situation and improve it. No matter the path one chooses, giving up should never be an option. Life is unpredictbale and full of challenges. People experience downfall, but what's important is to tackle it rather than just live in it.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both views and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. The argument for accepting bad situations is slightly underdeveloped and relies on a somewhat confusing premise regarding 'lack of acceptance' leading to quitting. The second view is better supported, though the assertion that all bad situations occur due to 'lack of effort' is a significant overgeneralization that limits the depth of the argument. To reach a higher band, ensure that arguments are balanced and supported by more nuanced reasoning rather than absolute statements. The position is consistent throughout, which is a strength.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different viewpoints. Cohesive devices such as 'Some people', 'Others argue', and 'I believe' are used to guide the reader through the argument. However, the transition between the first and second body paragraphs could be smoother, and some cohesive links feel slightly mechanical. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the logical flow within the second paragraph is slightly hampered by the overgeneralization mentioned in the task achievement section.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, with some attempts at less common items like 'unpredictable', 'hurdle', and 'instills'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'disappealing situation' (which is not standard English) and 'lack of acceptance to this fact' (should be 'of'). There are also minor spelling errors like 'occured' and 'unpredictbale'. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey meaning, it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band score. Expanding your range of collocations and ensuring accurate word formation will improve this score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While many sentences are error-free, there are recurring grammatical issues, such as subject-verb agreement ('Situations... makes people') and prepositional errors ('acceptance to'). Punctuation is generally sound, but the sentence structure could be more varied to demonstrate greater control. The errors present do not impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on complex sentence construction and proofreading for minor grammatical slips would be beneficial.

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