Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-12

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 believe that fighting a bad situation such as unsatisfactory job or a financial problem is not a good decision. Whereas, many argue it is a good idea to try finding a solution and improve such situations.

This is a good debatable topic, with vast amount of arguments. Both of the advices are equally correct for different people, but I think it is better to fight a bad situation of unsatisfactory job or financial problem.

On one hand, fighting a situation of financial problem need a lot of courage with numerous attempts, and even after that is is possible that the situation will get worse instead. It is not that easy to improve the conditions you are currently in, so many people believe that it is better than nothing and keep hung with the situation. Same with a unsatisfactory job, people believe being unemployed is far worse than doing a job unhappily with low income. It is human nature to adjust self to the situation no matter how bad it is.

On the other hand, people wants to improve their financial problems and work more to get a good job which can be satisfactory. It can be done with encouragement and efforts. However, people need to support each other to get rid of such situations. A person can learn new skills while doing the same job and with a good amount of time spent learning new skills, it is possible to get a job with good income. In addition, doing part-time job is also a good way to generate a side income, which can help with financial problems. Government can also help by launching free technology learning classes, encouraging businesses to hier the young adults, and giving a push to small businesses.

In conclusion, it is not impossible to improve the bad situation of unsatifactory job or financial issues, you just need to focus and stay consistant. Although, it is not possible for everyone but you should give it a try.

In my openion, accepting a bad situation is not a good idea as its not only affect you but also your loved ones. Working for a better future and getting rid of problems like financial issues and unsatisfactory job is always a good option, it teaches you a lot of new skills and gives you life lessons.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views—accepting a bad situation versus trying to improve it—and clearly states the writer's own opinion in the second paragraph and conclusion. The ideas are generally relevant and extended, such as discussing human nature, the emotional toll of unemployment, learning new skills, and potential government support. However, some arguments tend to over-generalise and could be further supported with more specific details or examples. The progression of ideas is logical, and the personal stance is maintained throughout. This performance aligns well with the Band 6 descriptors, as all parts of the task are addressed and a clear position is presented, though some supporting ideas remain slightly under-developed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with clear paragraphing, dividing the introduction, body paragraphs for each view, a conclusion, and a final personal stance. Cohesive devices are employed to signal transitions, such as 'On one hand,' 'On the other hand,' and 'In conclusion.' However, some referencing is slightly faulty or mechanical, and transitions between sentences can feel a bit abrupt. For instance, sentences like 'Same with a unsatisfactory job' lack smooth integration. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, but the flow within paragraphs could be improved to reach higher bands. Overall, the logical progression is evident, making it a solid Band 6 performance.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The writer demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common items such as 'unsatisfactory,' 'financial problem,' and 'encouragement.' However, there are noticeable lexical errors and awkward word choices, such as 'keep hung with the situation,' 'unsatisfactory job' without an article, 'people wants' (agreement error), and spelling mistakes like 'hier' instead of 'hire' and 'consistant' instead of 'consistent.' There are also typographical and word form issues like 'openion' and 'its' instead of 'it's/it affects.' These errors do not impede overall communication, but they place the response firmly in the Band 6 category due to inaccuracies in word choice and spelling.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing conditional structures and relative clauses such as 'a good job which can be satisfactory.' There are, however, frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement ('people wants', 'it is affect'), missing articles ('an unsatisfactory job'), and awkward phrasing ('fighting a situation of financial problem need a lot of courage'). Punctuation and word forms also exhibit occasional errors ('unsatifactory', 'openion'). While these errors are noticeable and require the reader to occasionally adjust, they rarely impede overall communication. This mix of structures and persistent errors matches the Band 6 criteria for grammatical range and accuracy.

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