Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-05
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 believe that accepting a bad situation, such as unsatisfactory job or financial problems, is the best approach, while others think that people should try to improve such circumstances. Although acceptance can help people to cope with unavoidable difficulties. I personally believe that making practical efforts to improve one's situation is generally more beneficial.
On one hand, accepting a bad situation can help people reduce stress and prevent from wasting energy on matters beyond their control. For, example if a person suddenly loses money because of a economic crises, worrying constantly may not solve the problem. Acceptance can help individuals remain calm, assess thein circumstance realistically and adapt to them. In addition, some situations are temporary and unavoidable.
On the other hand, simply accepting circumstance may cause people to become passive. If employees are unhappy with their jobs but never seek training, apply for other positions or discuss their problem with their managers, their professional and personal dissatisfaction may continue. similarly people facing financial difficulties can often take constructive step, such as reducing unnecessary expenses, learning new skills or finding an additional source of income. Even if these actions do not produce immediate results, they can gradually improve a person's quality of life and provide greater independence.
In my opinion, the most sensible approach it to combine acceptance with action. people should accept the reality of a problem before deciding how to deal with it, but they should not accept a unsatisfaction situation permanently when reasonable solution are available. Therefore, acceptance is useful as a temporary strategy, whereas determined and realistic efforts are usually the best way to achieve long term improvement.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0
The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both views and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant and well-supported with examples, such as the mention of economic crises and workplace dissatisfaction. The position is consistent throughout the essay, and the conclusion effectively synthesizes the two perspectives. To reach a higher band, the development of the 'acceptance' argument could be slightly more nuanced, perhaps by exploring the psychological benefits of acceptance in more depth, but overall, the task is fully addressed.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used effectively, such as 'On one hand,' 'On the other hand,' and 'In addition,' which guide the reader through the argument. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. There are minor issues with punctuation, such as the sentence fragment 'For, example if a person...' and the missing comma after 'similarly,' but these do not impede the overall flow or the logical progression of the argument.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The vocabulary is sufficient and generally appropriate for the task. The student uses relevant terms like 'constructive step,' 'unavoidable difficulties,' and 'professional and personal dissatisfaction.' There are some minor errors in word form or collocation, such as 'a economic crises' (an economic crisis) and 'a unsatisfaction situation' (an unsatisfactory situation). However, these errors are infrequent and do not cause confusion. The range of vocabulary is adequate to convey the intended meaning with some precision.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is good control over complex sentences, such as 'If employees are unhappy with their jobs but never seek training... their professional and personal dissatisfaction may continue.' However, there are several grammatical slips, including article usage ('a economic crises'), subject-verb agreement ('the most sensible approach it to'), and punctuation errors. While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede communication. Increasing the frequency of error-free complex sentences would help improve this score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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