Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-13
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)
A school of thought says it is convenient to rely on lack of financial security and unsure employment however others disagree and concerned about getting out of such bad circumstances for better future. In my view , escaping from bad experience is worthful for self satisfaction.
In recent times, it is difficult to get a job in any sector government and private along with most of them are 9 to 5 jobs. In addition drive time for office is also in hours some times. Living expenses are rising day by day that's why in these cases it is more reliable to accept these employments rather than putting efforts for new occupation.
In contrast , searching for new opportunities is a necessity to ended up with bright tomarrow. It is not neglectable that getting out from these cases is difficult because efforts plays crucial role in this journey. To illustrate , when I ended up my degree I stated with a minor salary but i did not gave up I passed national level licence to become a diagnostic radiographer. I prepared for it along my job by getting up late in nights taking different chances. Now I earn 10 times more with a better pay package. It is a bitter reality that it took one's freedom and peace but promises the satisfactory outcomes.
From my perspective, someone should never give up on hard work for a self fulfilment and making up himself a bright star on his own sky. As well as it is compulsory for mental and physical health .
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
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 provides a clear personal opinion that escaping bad experiences is worthwhile. The ideas are generally relevant, covering the economic realities of employment as well as the personal journey of upgrading qualifications. However, some arguments remain somewhat limited and under-developed, particularly in the second paragraph where the transition from living expenses to accepting employment could be expanded with deeper analysis. The use of a personal anecdote in the third paragraph effectively supports the view on striving for improvement, though it leans slightly towards over-generalisation. Overall, the response fulfils the requirements of the prompt adequately, earning a solid band score for task achievement.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a recognisable introduction, body paragraphs addressing each viewpoint, and a concluding stance. Paragraphing is utilised to separate distinct ideas, such as the two opposing views and the personal example. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical and faulty. For instance, transitional phrases like 'In addition drive time for office is also in hours some times' and 'that's why in these cases' feel awkward and lack smooth integration. Referencing is occasionally unclear, and logical progression within paragraphs is disrupted by punctuation errors and disjointed clause structures. While the progression of ideas is generally understandable, the cohesive devices are not always used flexibly or accurately, placing the response firmly in the mid-range for this criterion.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, attempting less common items such as 'financial security', 'diagnostic radiographer', and 'self fulfilment'. However, there are frequent inaccuracies in word choice, collocation, and word formation. Examples include 'rely on lack of financial security' instead of 'accept a lack of financial security', 'worthful' instead of 'worthwhile', 'ended up with bright tomarrow' instead of 'brighter tomorrow', and 'gave up' incorrectly conjugated as 'gave up'. Despite these errors, the lexical range is sufficient to convey the intended meaning without severely impeding communication, fitting the band 5.5 profile well.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and conditional ideas. However, control over grammar and punctuation is inconsistent. There are frequent grammatical errors, such as missing articles ('in any sector government and private'), tense inconsistencies ('when I ended up my degree I stated with a minor salary but i did not gave up'), and punctuation mistakes, including missing commas and spacing issues around punctuation marks. Furthermore, sentence structures occasionally become convoluted, such as 'making up himself a bright star on his own sky'. These frequent errors can cause some difficulty for the reader, though the meaning remains decipherable.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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