Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-16

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)

It is often argued by some people that it would be best for everyone to accept the reality of situation like if we are not liking the job. Meanwhile, others argue that it is always good to struggle for work hard and reduce the vad conditions as well. However, I believe that we should always continue our struggling phase to reach the goals and improve our bad situations.

On the one hand, the supporters of accepting the reality of unsatisfactory conditions believe that it would be beneficial in a great way. As this condition can boost our skills and confidence at the same time. Take an example of Emma Watson, a leading Hollywood star once stated that her great confidence come from accepting the reality base things while doing a professional job. Hence, this is indeed beneficial development in this regard.

While on the other hand, the advocates of keep struggling for their good achievements believe that it would be good for career. As note down the poorer phase of life and reduce the bad conditions of this phase would help us to bring a bright future for us. For instance, Education Minister of Germany once stated that many of great achievers are those who always minimise their bad conditions and work hard until they achieve their goals. Thus, this also facilitates in many ways.

However, I believe that we should always notice out weak points in life and search the ways to keep them better.

To sum up, eventhough both ways are beneficial but I believe that hard work is the key of success and we should always work hard to reach the reward.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views—accepting difficult situations versus attempting to improve them—and provides a clear personal opinion throughout the essay. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited and repetitive. For example, in the body paragraphs, the explanations relying on quotes from Emma Watson and a German Education Minister are rather vague and lack deep analytical support. The reasoning tends to over-generalise. To reach a higher band, the ideas need to be extended with more specific explanations and concrete examples of how accepting or changing a situation practically affects an individual's life. Nevertheless, the main task requirements are met, and the position is clear, leading to a Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear attempt at paragraphing, featuring an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. However, cohesion is frequently mechanical and sometimes faulty. For instance, sentences are often awkwardly linked using transitional phrases inappropriately, such as beginning sentences with 'As this condition can...' or 'While on the other hand, the advocates of keep struggling...'. Furthermore, referencing is not always clear, and the logical progression between sentences is occasionally disrupted by grammatical fragments and run-on structures. Paragraphing is present, but the internal flow needs improvement to achieve a higher score. Overall, the organizational structure aligns best with Band 5.5.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the student to communicate basic ideas about job dissatisfaction and overcoming hardships. However, there is a limited range of vocabulary, and noticeable errors in word choice and collocation appear throughout the text. Examples include 'reality of situation like if we are not liking the job', 'vad conditions', and 'keep struggling for their good achievements'. The student attempts some less common phrasing, such as 'minimise their bad conditions', but these attempts result in unnatural collocations. Spelling and word formation errors occasionally distract the reader, though communication is generally maintained. This performance fits the Band 5.0 descriptors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.5

The essay exhibits a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on simple sentence forms and faulty complex structures. Frequent grammatical errors impede readability and cause difficulty for the reader. For instance, the opening sentence contains a structural error: 'It is often argued by some people that it would be best for everyone to accept the reality of situation like if we are not liking the job.' Other frequent errors include incorrect verb forms like 'advocates of keep struggling' and incomplete clauses such as 'As note down the poorer phase of life and reduce the bad conditions'. Punctuation and sentence boundary errors also occur regularly. These features reflect the Band 4.5 descriptors.

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.