Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-24

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 6.5)

Certain individuals compromise and resign to negative circumstances, like uncomfortable employment or low funds while opponents argue that striving to improve their unfavorable situation, is the best way forward. Resigning one's self to negative situations can be a good way to avoid unnecessary stress, however improving a situation where one is dissatisfied is also a way to a better life. In this essay, I will discuss both perspectives and give my opinion.

On the one hand, people accept bad situations because they are not in control of their life and they tend to save themselves from the psychological and mental stress by choosing to resign themselves to unfavorable circumstances. For instance, person who is going through a major economic recession would benefit more from budgeting carefully and strictly, and avoiding any unnecessary purchases rather than wasting financial resources on hasty ventures and taking big risks that can put his finances in jeopardy.

On the other hand, living a boring and monotonous life with a job that is not promising any future prospects and being stuck in a stagnant job that has no future career path, can be extremely debilitating and frustrating. Humans progress through dissatisfaction, and complacency makes a man lose his self worth and self respect over time. A person stuck in a stagnant, low paying, dead-end job can be suffering from stress, anxiety and other mental issues which can cause long term health damage if not addressed. So, such negative circumstances need to be alleviated. To illustrate, a person who is stuck in a toxic work culture with a nagging boss, needs to improve his situation through hard work and consistency as this would drastically improve his financial life, leading to a better lifestyle.

In conclusion, while resigning to unfavorable circumstances can provide brief psychological and mental peace, I strongly believe that striving to improve one's situation by consistency, dedication, commitment, perseverance and constant struggle is the only way to move forward.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response effectively addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both views—accepting a bad situation versus trying to improve it—and clearly states the writer's own opinion in the introduction and conclusion. Ideas are well-developed and supported with relevant examples, such as discussing economic recessions for the first view and toxic work cultures for the second. The position is maintained consistently throughout the essay, demonstrating a strong grasp of the requirements of an academic task 2 response. The arguments are extended logically without straying off-topic, fulfilling the criteria for a solid Band 7.0 performance.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay displays a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct central topic, moving from the introduction to the first view, the second view, and finally the conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', 'For instance', and 'In conclusion' are used appropriately to guide the reader through the arguments. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and effectively, though some sentences run slightly long, such as the lengthy listing in the conclusion ('consistency, dedication, commitment, perseverance and constant struggle'), which feels a bit heavy-handed. Overall, the structural flow is clear and cohesive.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The writer demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary with some flexibility and precision, using less common items such as 'unfavorable circumstances', 'debilitating and frustrating', and 'toxic work culture'. There is good awareness of collocation and style, although occasional minor inaccuracies appear, such as the slightly awkward phrase 'resigning one's self to' rather than 'resigning oneself to'. Spelling and word choice are generally accurate and do not impede communication. The lexical resource is adequate for a Band 7.0, showing a good attempt to use sophisticated vocabulary appropriate for an academic context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response features a good variety of complex sentence structures alongside simple forms. Examples such as 'While resigning to unfavorable circumstances can provide brief psychological and mental peace, I strongly believe...' demonstrate sound grammatical control. However, there are a few minor punctuation and grammatical slips, such as the comma splice in '...striving to improve their unfavorable situation, is the best way forward' and occasional missing articles ('for instance, person who...'). Despite these persistent minor errors, the majority of sentences are error-free, and communication is never impeded, placing the essay comfortably in the Band 7 category.

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