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)

Personally, i would say that if your going through a bad situation or any hardship, such as an unsatisfactory job or financial instability instead of just accepting your fate, being hopeless, and just accepting it without trying to improve your circumstances, that is something really stupid to do. A person should always try to make their efforts and do their part in improving such situations and leave the outcome in the hands of God.

If i include a bit of my religious concept, in my religion Islam our belief is that if you have an aim or a goal that you want to achieve, you should always work hard for it, give it your all and always keep trying to make your situation better rather than just accepting something below your standards. And always leave the results and outcomes in the hands of God with strong faith. A person who just accepts a bad situation, such as a financial instability or a toxic relationship will continue to suffer through that hardship until and unless he himself isn't ready to change his circumstances.

Now i'm going to share an example related to me, so after i graduated i immediately started looking for jobs but there weren't any vacancies in the hospital ipd department at that time so i had to sit at home unemployed for about 3-4 months, in this situation i could've just accepted it and stopped looking because it was becoming really demotivating and depressing for me. But even when my inner voice was doubting my capability, i gave myself a push to keep trying and eventually i secured a job of a Hospital IPD Pharmacist at a reputable hospital. In conclusion, i would say don't just sit back and accept your circumstances if they're bad atleast try to work hard to improve and make things better.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses the task only partially. While you present a clear personal opinion that one should try to improve bad situations rather than accept them, the discussion of the opposing view—why some people believe it is best to accept a bad situation—is largely omitted or dismissed outright rather than explored. Furthermore, your ideas remain somewhat limited and under-developed, relying heavily on personal assertion and a single anecdotal example from your own life rather than broader, fully extended arguments. To move to a higher level, you need to ensure both views are properly discussed with well-supported arguments and examples that go beyond personal experience.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is some organisation in your writing, but it lacks a clear overall progression. The essay is divided into three very long paragraphs, and the transitions between ideas can feel repetitive, particularly how you repeatedly circle back to the idea of accepting a bad situation without trying. Cohesive devices are sometimes inadequate or overly simplistic, with heavy reliance on phrases like 'and just accepting it' or 'in conclusion'. Paragraphing is also an issue, as the second paragraph merges religious philosophy with general examples in a way that disrupts the flow. To improve, you should structure your essay into distinct, balanced paragraphs with a clear introduction, separate body paragraphs for each view, and a cohesive conclusion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

Your vocabulary range is limited but minimally adequate for the task. You attempt some less common vocabulary, such as 'financial instability', 'unsatisfactory job', and 'reputable hospital', but there are noticeable errors in word choice and expression, such as 'if your going through' instead of 'you are', and 'secured a job of a Hospital IPD Pharmacist'. Repetition of basic words like 'bad situation', 'accepting', and 'things' restricts your lexical range. For a higher score, you should incorporate a wider variety of precise, sophisticated vocabulary and collocation while avoiding repetitive phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The text displays a limited range of structures, with frequent errors that can cause some difficulty for the reader. There are many punctuation and grammatical issues, such as comma splices ('Personally, i would say...', 'so after i graduated...'), missing capitalization for the pronoun 'I', and incorrect pronoun referencing like 'until and unless he himself isn't ready'. Attempts at complex sentences often contain errors, and basic agreement or spelling slips persist throughout. To achieve a higher band, you need to demonstrate a better mix of error-free complex structures, ensure accurate punctuation, and maintain strict control over verb forms and pronouns.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.