Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-27
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)
There is considerable debate about whether people should face difficult challenges, such as unenjoyable employment or finance-related problems or they should search for better options to get rid of these situations. Although hard times enable us to perform under pressure, we should try to improve.
On the one hand, it is contended that people has to face difficult situations at different life stages. A person, who does not take on challenges, cannot have different experiences. People find it difficult to survive at a workplace where their comfort is being compromised. For example, young adults these days do not choose a career in which they have to compromise their mental satisfaction. As a result, it is becoming challenging for fresh graduates to find their favourite jobs. Moreover, finance management is the key skill that everyone must acquire. The best time to understand the psychology of spending money is when a person is facing a shortage of cash. These scenarios enable people to overcome these challenges.
On the other hand, it i widely suggested that people should focus on becoming the best version of themselves. Despite having limited resources, a man should try to improve himself to tackle the unrewarding period. Those who refuse to work consistently in order to develop their skills, always bite the dust. Hard work and perseverance go hand in hand to get a person out of challenging situations.
In conclusion, facing difficult situations without improving your hands-on skills would be detrimental. One should take on all the challenges, sharpen his skills and then overcome hard times. This would develop endurance with a long-lasting positive impact.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views on accepting versus improving difficult situations and provides a clear personal opinion in the introduction and conclusion. The ideas are generally relevant, such as discussing how workplace dissatisfaction and financial hardship can build character and resilience versus the drive to improve oneself. However, some arguments feel slightly under-developed or jump between ideas rather abruptly, particularly in the first body paragraph regarding young adults and workplace comfort. Overall, the essay meets the requirements for Band 6.0 because it presents a clear position and addresses all parts of the prompt, though the extension and support of ideas could be more fully realised.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with clear paragraphing, dividing the introduction, two body paragraphs, and the conclusion appropriately. Cohesive devices are used to signal transitions between different viewpoints, such as 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand'. However, referencing and logical progression occasionally falter. For instance, the transition into the second body paragraph relies on phrases like 'it i widely suggested' (with a typo) and the link between the ideas feels a bit mechanical. Paragraph 2 introduces multiple disparate points—such as workplace comfort, fresh graduates, and financial management—within a single paragraph, affecting the overall flow and logical progression.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common phrases such as 'finance-related problems', 'mental satisfaction', and 'bite the dust'. There are some awkward word choices and collocation slips, such as 'unenjoyable employment' instead of 'unsatisfactory employment' or 'unrewarding jobs', and 'finance management' instead of 'financial management'. Additionally, there is a minor typographical error in the phrase 'it i widely suggested'. Nevertheless, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning without impeding communication, placing the response solidly in the Band 6.0 category.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The writer displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing structures such as 'Although hard times enable us to perform under pressure, we should try to improve.' There are several grammatical errors and awkward agreements throughout the text. For example, the student writes 'people has to face' instead of 'people have to face', and uses gender-specific pronouns inconsistently, shifting from plural 'people' to singular 'a man should try to improve himself' and 'sharpen his skills'. Punctuation and sentence boundaries are generally managed, but these recurring grammatical inaccuracies prevent the essay from reaching a higher band score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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