Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-04

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)

In many countries of the world, it is often argued by some people that accept the poor situation, like as an unsatisfactory job or shortage of money is better for mental health. Meanwhile, other believe that improve the bad situations is the best for financial benefit. However, I believe that it is better to improve the extreme situation for better future.

On the one hand, the supporters of the idea accept the bad situation believe that it is best for mental health. As people accept their situation their did not feel more stress and pain. Take an example, a survey conduct in Japan, most of the population said that accept the bad situation is better for mental health. Thus, the supporters of this view support their findings back their analysis with valid argument.

While on the other hand, the advocate of the view that try and improve the unsatisfactory situation believe that it is better for the financial benefit. As their successfully improve their situation so they able to earn lot of money. For instance, the finance Minister of China, said the financial situation of their citizen is good because they try and improve their bad situation. Hence, this view also seems to carry a lot weightage.

However, I believe that it is better to improve poor situation for better future. As good situation help to enjoy life better because it gave a lot of financial benefit.

To sum up, even though accept bad situation, but I believe that it is best to try and improve bad situation because it helpful for future life.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both views regarding whether to accept or improve bad situations and presents an opinion. However, the task is only partially addressed because the ideas are limited and under-developed. For instance, the arguments regarding mental health and financial benefits are repetitive and rely on vague generalisations rather than deep exploration. Furthermore, 8 words copied directly from the task prompt were excluded from the official count. To reach a higher level, the writer needs to extend and support their ideas with more thorough explanations and specific, well-formulated examples rather than brief and unsupported assertions.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear paragraph-by-paragraph structure, including an introduction, two body paragraphs discussing the opposing views, a personal opinion paragraph, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'While on the other hand', and 'To sum up' are employed to guide the reader through the text, although referencing and transitions can sometimes feel mechanical or repetitive, such as the frequent reliance on 'As' to introduce reasons. To move to the next level, the writer should ensure that logical progression within paragraphs is smoother and that cohesive devices are used more flexibly without appearing formulaic.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited but minimally adequate for the task, with noticeable errors that occasionally cause difficulty for the reader. The student attempts some less common vocabulary, such as 'financial benefit' and 'unsatisfactory situation', but struggles with word forms, word choices, and collocations, as seen in phrases like 'accept the poor situation', 'carry a lot weightage', and 'earn lot of money'. Spelling is generally acceptable, but lexical inaccuracies restrict the precision of the argument. To improve, the writer must expand their range of vocabulary and pay closer attention to correct word forms and natural collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The essay displays a limited range of structures, relying mostly on simple sentences alongside a few attempts at complex forms that are often faulty. There are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation throughout the text, including issues with verb forms and tenses, missing articles, and incorrect prepositions inside grammatical patterns, such as 'that accept the poor situation', 'their did not feel', and 'as their successfully improve'. These recurring errors can cause some difficulty for the reader. To achieve a higher band, the writer needs to produce a greater variety of complex sentence forms with a much higher proportion of error-free sentences and tighter control over basic grammatical agreements.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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