Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-05

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)

Some people believe in accepting bad situation while others have opinion of trying and improving such situations. There can be several reasons for a person accepting bad situation. A person doing unsatisfactory job might not be capable enough to look for another one. Due to limited opportunities, finding new job is quiet challenging these days. It is important to prove oneself capable enough to be hired in a reputable organisation. Money shortage is another obstacle. Financial instability forces people to work in stressful environments. Employees ignore their mental health and bear verbal abuse. Excessive workload not only negatively impacts employee's health but also disturbs personal life. Working after office hours results in less bonding with family. To make both ends meet, employees accept these challenging situations and continue job without question.

On the other hand, some people focus on improving such situations. They stand for themselves and work harder. People who donot compromise their self-respect, cannot accept bad situations. They always look for better options, focus on learning and try to hunt better opportunities to ensure personal and professional growth. Continuous effort bore fruit and they usually end up finding better options. This not only keeps them healthy but also helps them to be financially stable in this age of direness.

In my opinion, those who look for better opprtunities and work on continuous improvement, are far better than those accepting a bad situation. I believe that success has no limit. Humans are powerful enough to achieve anything they want. Only continuous effort is the key to success. Those who wrk hard, will definitely find way to success.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views on whether to accept or improve bad situations and presents a clear personal opinion in the conclusion. However, some parts are more fully developed than others. For instance, the discussion on why people accept bad situations includes relevant examples like an unsatisfactory job and a shortage of money, but the elaboration on financial instability and workplace stress remains somewhat repetitive. The arguments presented are generally pertinent, yet they tend to over-generalise rather than being fully extended with specific illustrations. To reach a higher level, the ideas would need more thorough exploration and deeper analysis rather than relying on brief supporting points.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The text demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction, body paragraphs addressing each viewpoint, and a distinct concluding opinion. Paragraphing is utilised to separate the two competing arguments. However, cohesion at times feels a bit mechanical or simplistic, with basic transition markers such as 'Some people believe', 'On the other hand', and 'In my opinion'. Referencing and logical progression between sentences can occasionally feel abrupt, lacking smoother transitional bridges. To improve cohesion, the writer should employ a wider and more flexible variety of cohesive devices and ensure that referencing across sentences maintains a seamless flow throughout the essay.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms relevant to the topic such as 'financial instability', 'stressful environments', and 'professional growth'. There are some attempts to use less common vocabulary, though this is occasionally accompanied by minor word-choice or spelling inaccuracies, such as 'quiet challenging' instead of quite challenging, 'bore fruit' instead of bear fruit, and 'opprtunities'. These vocabulary and spelling errors do not impede communication. To achieve a higher score, the writer needs to demonstrate a more precise and flexible range of lexical items, including less common collocations used with greater accuracy and stylistic awareness.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts at subordination and varied clause structures. There are some noticeable errors in grammar, such as missing articles ('finding new job' instead of finding a new job, 'continue job' instead of continuing their job), spelling-related word errors, and slight issues with prepositions or verb forms ('donot', 'wrk hard'). Despite these errors, the sentence structures are generally clear and rarely impede communication. To progress further, the writer should aim for a higher proportion of error-free complex sentences and exercise tighter control over article usage and grammatical agreements.

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