Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-31

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 by many that instead of solving bad situation such as unsatisfactory jobs or financial problems it should be accepted whereas many other argues that improving such situations would be much more better thing to do. This essay is going to discuss both sides and give my opinion.

On the one hand it is believed that accepting the situations which are given to us systematically is best. If we acknowledge the things that that are given to us then later we will definitely rise and do other things. For instance, many people are unsatisfied with their jobs but thinking about their salary helps them get through it. Some people think that if we work hard now then later we will definitely be paid. Consequently, they can accept the bad situations.

On the other hand, it is argued that trying to improve those things would be better. If we try to improve those bad conditions now then in the future it will be lot more easier for us to work effectively and productively. For example, A office worker who is satisfied with his\her work would be more diligent and motivated to work compared to the other worker who isn't convinced with his\her working surrounding. Thus, it will be more helpful in our current time if we manage to improve those things instead of just acknowledging them.

In my opinion, it is better to maintain both sides properly. Sometimes, we cannot do anything about our situations which later would turn out to be beneficial and also by improving those things we can be confident in our possible fields.

In conclusion, sometimes doing work that just happens naturally isn't that bad but trying to improve those things for better future isn't also wrong completely.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both views and provides a personal opinion, meeting the basic requirements of the prompt. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For example, the argument for accepting bad situations is supported by a vague example about salary, which lacks depth. The discussion on improving situations is also quite general. To reach a higher band, you need to extend your arguments with more specific examples or logical consequences. Your position is clear, but the overall analysis remains at a surface level, which limits the depth of the response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'Consequently' to link ideas. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the transition between the body paragraphs and your opinion is abrupt. The referencing is generally clear, but the essay would benefit from a wider range of cohesive devices to improve the flow and make the connections between ideas more sophisticated and less repetitive.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You rely on common words like 'bad', 'things', and 'situations' repeatedly. While you attempt to use some topic-specific language, such as 'unsatisfactory' and 'productively', the range is limited. There are also some minor collocation issues, such as 'much more better thing to do', which is grammatically incorrect and stylistically weak. To improve, focus on using more precise synonyms and collocations to express your ideas more effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'many other argues' (should be 'argue'), 'A office worker' (should be 'An'), and 'lot more easier' (should be 'much easier'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. The errors do not significantly impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. You should focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of comparative adjectives.

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

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