Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-29

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 6.0)

The best option is to accept a bad situation according to some people like shortage of money or an unsatisfactory job whereas other people believe it is better to try and make the situation better. In this essay, I will give reasons for both views and present my opinion at last.

Life has many phases that include good and bad situations both, what matters the most is how you handle difficult time. It is in the best interest of people to accept a bad situation which puts them in a mental state to deal with it accordingly. When humans do not accept a situation, it can lead to mental health issues like depression, anxiety and feeling of a failure to not be able to achieve your goal. It provides you with the ability to live in present rather than struggling. If a person is in the need for a job to provide for the family and accepts a job that will provide the necessities but it is an unsatisfactory job helps resolve the issues in their life.

Many people believe it is better to strive to improve the situation because it drives growth in the skills, confidence and inner strength. One of the most important benefits of trying to improve circumstances is preventing the situation from getting worse. Furthermore, if you are in a job that helps you get by but at the same time if you are learning a new skill, it can open doors that you might have not imagined and contribute to the betterment of your life. When an individual keeps on trying to make a situation better, their learning is always in process contributing to the confidence and skill building needed for life.

In my opinion, accepting a situation is the first step and a short term solution for the problem, if you do not eventually strive to improve a situation, you will always be stuck in the same phase of life with no room for improvement.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The essay addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion in the conclusion. The ideas are relevant and generally well-developed, such as the discussion on mental health benefits of acceptance versus the growth potential of striving for change. However, the development is slightly uneven; the argument for acceptance is somewhat repetitive, and the transition to the personal opinion could be more integrated. While the prompt is fully addressed, the depth of analysis could be enhanced by providing more concrete examples or nuanced reasoning to reach a higher band level.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two viewpoints. Cohesive devices such as 'whereas', 'furthermore', and 'in my opinion' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. For instance, the second paragraph contains some awkward phrasing, such as 'feeling of a failure to not be able to', which slightly disrupts the logical progression of the argument. Overall, the structure is clear and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There is an attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'strive', 'circumstances', and 'betterment'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are occasional inaccuracies in collocation and word choice, such as 'feeling of a failure' instead of 'a sense of failure' and 'learning is always in process' instead of 'a continuous process'. To improve, the writer should focus on more precise collocations and a wider variety of academic vocabulary to demonstrate greater flexibility.

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 articles, prepositions, and sentence construction. Examples include 'in the need for a job' (should be 'in need of'), 'it is an unsatisfactory job helps' (a run-on/fused structure), and 'a feeling of a failure to not be able to'. These errors are noticeable but do not significantly impede communication. To reach a higher band, the writer needs to demonstrate more consistent control over complex structures and reduce the frequency of basic grammatical slips.

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

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