Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-29

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)

Many people argue that accepting the distressful circumstance is best option while other people think that it is good to make a determined effort to improve the unfavourable situations. I strongly believe that one should strive to improve their situation and circumstances that are less than ideal. In this essay I will discuss both viewpoints before concluding with my opinion.

On one hand, when an individual is having a worst condition in both terms of finances and mental stress, he sometimes find it difficult to move on from the position he is currently in. The best way a person finds in such situation is to accept the fact that life is falling apart, rather than trying for something better. Firstly, not every problem can be solved immediately and it can lead to stressful conditions. For example, a person who is stuck in a stagnant job, with no future prospects, financial responsibilities of his family, along with a nagging boss, who is trying to make his life difficult, would be far more likely to accept his shortcomings and be complacent, instead of taking further stress by striving to improve such situation. Secondly, accepting a bad situation where you have no control over the outcomes, can save you from the unnecessary psychological stress and mental deterioration.

On the other hand, many people have an optimistic approach in their lives even if their whole life is falling apart they always try to improve difficult situations and aim for better prospects in life for better opportunities and standard of life.

Humanity progresses through dissatisfaction and complacency can make a person stagnant, depressed and lessen his self respect overtime. For instance, a person who is doing struggle in his work and having many problems, can develop new skills and technical expertise to get a better job. Similarly, someone who is going through a nation-wide recession would benefit more from budgeting carefully and limit his overall monetary ventures, rather than taking risky bets and put his financial stability in jeopardy. In addition, taking an action towards their problem can give people a sense of achievement, satisfaction, fulfilment, and accomplishment as well.

In conclusion, while accepting a difficult situation can be beneficial and prevent you from unnecessary mental distress and psychological pain, especially in circumstances where a person does not have control over his life and can not change the outcome or is bound by responsibilities and other shackles. It can also make you stagnant, complacent and worsen a person's plight and cause him to lose his motivation, drive and overall self-respect. I firmly believe that unfavourable ordeals should be dealt with in order to progress and live a better standard of life.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both views—accepting a bad situation versus trying to improve it—and clearly states a personal position in the introduction and conclusion. Ideas are well-extended and supported with relevant examples, such as the discussion of a stagnant job and dealing with a nation-wide recession. The arguments are logical and clearly linked to the prompt. The position is maintained consistently throughout the essay. This performance aligns comfortably with the Band 7 requirements, as all parts of the task are addressed with a clear position and well-developed supporting ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a clear overall progression with logical organisation. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction, the two body paragraphs discussing opposing views, and the conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'On one hand', 'On the other hand', 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'In conclusion' are employed to guide the reader through the text, although some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Referencing is generally clear, though occasional long, run-on sentences in the conclusion slightly disrupt the flow. Overall, the structural framework is solid, earning a strong Band 6.5 to Band 7 descriptor match.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses a sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common lexical items such as 'complacent', 'stagnant', 'deterioration', and 'jeopardy'. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation inaccuracies throughout the text, such as 'distressful circumstance' instead of 'distressing circumstance', 'having a worst condition' instead of 'being in a worse condition', and 'doing struggle' instead of 'struggling'. While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the lexical score from reaching a higher band. The vocabulary is adequate and allows the writer to convey their ideas with some precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating a reasonable command of grammar. There are, however, several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, such as missing articles ('best option' instead of 'the best option', 'aim for better prospects' instead of 'aim for better prospects'), subject-verb agreement issues ('circumstances that are less than ideal... one should strive to improve their'), and overly long, tangled sentences, particularly in the final conclusion paragraph which contains a sentence fragment. Despite these frequent errors, they rarely impede overall communication, placing the response firmly in the Band 6 category.

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