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)
So firstly, I want to say that keeping yourself up and always trying your best to be at a good position is the best way to get away from your poor lifestyle.
This discussion have two faces. On one side, there is the category of people who accept their situation as it is. Personally, I am not with such kind of people who just wait for the best thing to happen that can change their miserable life. Practically this type of thing not going to be happen ever. Such type of people just get addicted to their poor and low quality life style and they become use to that. Whenever they try and got rejection after that they never try again because they got rejected. There is a thing that is in their mind that god has written this for them so they can't do anything although god have already said stand up and do efforts in return I'll provide you.
On the other hand, there is the type of people who can't just sit and see themselves drowning. They always try to stand up and every time when they face rejection they tell themselves to be strong enough for the other opportunities. Because such type of people have strong belief on god, on their selves and also on their belief that one day, the day will come because which they are suffering alot and I have seen very closely that such type of people won everything in their lives.
In the end, I am going to say it that I'm very fond of such kind of persons who do every effort to make themselves better.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both views required by the prompt regarding whether to accept a bad situation or try to improve it, and the student's own opinion is clearly stated throughout the text. For example, the writer explicitly notes, 'Personally, I am not with such kind of people who just wait for the best thing to happen.' However, the ideas tend to be repetitive and lack the depth expected of higher bands, often relying on generalizations rather than fully elaborated arguments. The reasoning relies heavily on personal perspective rather than well-developed logical extensions. Nevertheless, all parts of the prompt are addressed, aligning closely with the Band 6 descriptors.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction and conclusion, and the two main body paragraphs effectively separate the opposing views. Cohesive devices are used, but they are sometimes overly basic or mechanical, such as 'So firstly', 'On one side', and 'On the other hand'. Paragraphing is present and mostly appropriate, though the second body paragraph runs quite long and could be broken down for better visual and logical division. Referencing is occasionally unclear, as seen in phrases like 'because which they are suffering alot', which creates minor hurdles in reading progression.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the student to communicate their general meaning. However, the range is limited and frequently repetitive, relying on basic terms like 'poor lifestyle', 'miserable life', and 'bad situation'. There are several noticeable word-choice and collocation errors, such as 'do efforts' instead of 'make an effort', and 'become use to' instead of 'become used to'. Less common lexical items are attempted but often lack precision or natural stylistic control, placing the lexical performance firmly at Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, though attempts at complex structures are frequently marred by grammatical errors. Examples include 'This discussion have two faces' (subject-verb agreement error), 'Practically this type of thing not going to be happen ever' (tense and auxiliary verb errors), and 'such type of people have strong belief on god' (preposition error). Punctuation and sentence boundary issues also occur, leading to run-on sentences like 'Whenever they try and got rejection after that they never try again because they got rejected.' These errors cause occasional difficulty for the reader.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.