Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-03

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 6.0)

It has become a widespread debate whether it is best to accept a bad situation, such as an unsatisfactory job or a shortage of money. Some people strongly believe that it is best to accept, while others argue that it is better to try to improve such situations. I believe that if possible, it is best to improve such situations for the purpose of health - whether mental or phyiscal - and better living conditions.

Some argue that its best to just accept the situation, as trying to improve it might make someone end up in an even worse situation. For example, if someone has a physically demanding job, taking up most of their day while providing a very low salary, they might attempt to argue with management for either a higher salary or a better working position, and while in some instances this may result in what the person hoped for, however, it is also possible for the management to decide that the person is not fit for the job and fire them. So now instead of having a low income, the person has none.

On the other hand, others argue that it is important to try and improve unstatistfactory situations, whether at home, at work, or even at school. Because although there is a chance of failiure and being put in an even worse situation, the possiblity of succeeding should be enough of a drive. Lets go back to our previous example, we already discussed that when trying to argue for a higher salary or a better working position, a person might end up getting fired, left with no job, this might seem as a big disadvantage, yet it is important to note that it might be the starting point of a new opportunity. The person starts searching for jobs, and may end up getting the job of their dreams, with determination, anything is possible.

In my opinion, yes, it is important to try to improve unsatisfactory situations, but, it is also important to know when the right time is and be realistic. For example, if realistically trying to argue to improve a salary is going to end up badly, then it is best to leave the situation as it is, but if there is a high chance of it working out, then yes, it is very important to try your best to achieve your goal.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views—accepting a bad situation versus trying to improve it—and clearly states a personal position in the introduction and conclusion. Note that 22 words copied directly from the task prompt were excluded from the official word count, though the final count still comfortably met the minimum requirement. Ideas are generally relevant, but some are slightly under-developed or repetitive, such as the extended example about the demanding job and firing scenario which spans two full paragraphs. To reach a higher band, the arguments could be extended further with broader societal examples rather than relying heavily on a single hypothetical narrative, and the conclusion could explore the nuances of both perspectives more comprehensively.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear progression of ideas from the introduction, through the two body paragraphs discussing opposing views, to a balanced conclusion. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately to separate each distinct argument. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or faulty, as seen in run-on sentence structures like '...fire them. So now instead of...' and repetitive transitional phrases. Referencing could also be managed more smoothly. To achieve a higher band, you should integrate cohesive devices more naturally and vary your linking words to establish clearer logical relationships between sentences without relying on repetitive conversational connectors.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response displays an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully communicating everyday concepts and arguments. There are several attempts to use less common vocabulary, such as 'widespread debate', 'physically demanding', and 'determination', but these are accompanied by some noticeable spelling and word-choice errors, including 'phyiscal', 'unstatistfactory', 'failiure', and 'possiblity'. These lexical inaccuracies do not seriously impede communication, but they highlight a lack of precision. To move to a higher band, you should expand your control of spelling, refine word choices, and incorporate more precise, less common academic collocations naturally throughout the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writing demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating clauses with 'whether', 'if', and relative pronouns. There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, such as comma splices ('...position, a person might end up getting fired, left with no job, this might...') and minor prepositional or article slips. Fortunately, these errors rarely impede communication and the meaning remains clear. To reach a higher band, you need to produce a higher frequency of error-free complex sentences, exercise tighter control over punctuation, and ensure that dependent clauses are linked accurately without running ideas together.

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