Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-03

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)

Many people argue that it is better to accept a bad situation, such as an unsatisfactory job or shortage of money. Others believe that it is best to try and overcome these problems and improve such situations. I firmly believe in this statement and reasons are given below to support my opinion.

Several people say that we should always accept our fate rather than ignoring the fact. For example, if we have an unsatisfactory job which we do not like at all but still we have to keep on doing that work just because we need to overcome our problems like shortage of money or never having enough to eat or wear. Acceptance is indeed very crucial aspect of life.

While on the other hand, many argue that it is far good to take a stand for yourself and always keep on trying in order to do better and better in order to improve such difficult situations. It is not in our control to born in a rich family for example, if our family roots are not that strong financially than if we want to live a luxurious lifestyle and to make that happen we have to strive very hard in life to achieve a certain position.

Furthermore, hard work is the main key to be successful. To be a personality of which others dream. Dreams do come true if we work hard enough day and night sincerely. We have to be very honest in our doings.

To sum up, i think that acceptance and working hard both these situations are equally important to me. Ofcourse, we should try our best to overcome difficult situations in life rather than just ignoring them and live life in ignorance.

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 limited. For instance, the argument for 'acceptance' is brief and lacks depth, while the section on 'hard work' is slightly repetitive and lacks specific examples to illustrate the point effectively. The conclusion is a bit contradictory, as you state that both acceptance and hard work are equally important, which slightly blurs the clarity of your position. To improve, ensure each body paragraph focuses on a distinct, well-supported argument that directly relates to the prompt's core tension between passive acceptance and active improvement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'While on the other hand', and 'To sum up' to link your thoughts. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'I firmly believe in this statement and reasons are given below'. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly in the final paragraph where the connection between the two concepts could be more smoothly integrated. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph flows naturally into the next would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to express your ideas clearly. You use some relevant terms like 'unsatisfactory', 'financially', and 'strive'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'to be a personality of which others dream' or 'it is far good to take a stand'. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise collocations and less common lexical items that fit the academic context, while ensuring they are used accurately to convey your meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors throughout the text. For example, 'It is not in our control to born in a rich family' should be 'to be born', and 'than if we want to live' should be 'then if we want to live'. There are also issues with subject-verb agreement and article usage. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and refining your use of complex structures will help improve your score.

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

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