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)

Accepting a bad situation depends on the circumstances you are in, as there are some circumstances which could be improved by putting in an extra effort or while some situations are beyond one's control .

one should try to not let a bad situation affect them for example an unsatisfactory job could be improved by conveying to the manager of their concerns ,which might prompt the management to add difficulty or find ways to improve the satisfaction of the the employees but while other time some jobs are unsatisfactory not due to the the nature of the work but by the environment ,so in this circumstance the employee should look for other options and not be depended on the job he has and keep job hunting.

so the circumstance varies ,while at times the loss of a loved one has tragic effects and only time heals the individual ,therapies and being there for them do help but the acceptance is the only thing that would likely give them relief over time . so both statements aren't entirely wrong but neither of them are correct as well ,it all depends on the circumstance and the position one is in and how much mangeable the situation is.

in personal opinion alot of situation can be made better but it takes time ,and the situation could become easy to handle over time ,so in my own personal opinion i firmly believe that time plays a crucial role in trying to make a situation better and just accepting a situation should never be the case

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both views regarding whether to accept a bad situation or try to improve it, and presents a personal position that time and active effort play crucial roles. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited and repetitive. The student provides a relevant example regarding an unsatisfactory job, mentioning that employees can communicate with management or look for alternative options, but the second main body paragraph shifts abruptly to discussing the loss of a loved one and emotional acceptance, which is a tangential application of the prompt. While the central position is discernible, the arguments would benefit from deeper elaboration and clearer separation of ideas. Overall, the response fulfills the basic demands of the task but lacks full extension and coherent progression throughout, aligning best with a Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

Cohesion and logical progression are frequently hindered by poor punctuation, capitalization errors, and run-on sentences. The response is divided into four paragraphs, but internal cohesion is mechanical and often faulty. For instance, sentences are linked loosely with commas or lowercase conjunctions where full stops or clear transition markers are needed, such as in "...conveying to the manager of their concerns ,which might prompt..." Paragraphing is attempted, but the transition of ideas feels disjointed, particularly in the second paragraph where the argument shifts abruptly between job dissatisfaction and emotional grief. Referencing is occasionally unclear, and logical signposting is weak, resulting in an overall arrangement that falls into the Band 5.0 category.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary for the task, successfully communicating everyday concepts with phrases like "unsatisfactory job," "beyond one's control," and "job hunting." However, the lexical range is narrow, and there is frequent repetition of words such as "situation," "circumstance," and "time." Furthermore, there are noticeable word choice and collocation errors, such as "be depended on the job he has" (instead of 'dependent') and "how much mangeable" (spelling and grammatical form error). Because the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the general message despite inaccuracies, the response corresponds to a Band 5.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

Grammatical control is a significant weak point in this response. The writing relies heavily on long, run-on sentences joined by commas rather than appropriate conjunctions or periods, exemplified by sentences like "Accepting a bad situation depends on the circumstances you are in, as there are some circumstances which could be improved by putting in an extra effort or while some situations are beyond one's control ." Punctuation is erratic, with frequent spacing errors before punctuation marks and a lack of proper capitalization at the beginning of sentences and for the pronoun 'I'. Simple sentence forms are mixed with flawed complex structures, and frequent errors cause some difficulty for the reader, placing this at a Band 5.0.

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