Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-11

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)

It could be argued that human beings should accept bad situations and look forward in life like an unsatisfactory job or shortage of money but another point of view says that it is better to try and improve such situations to be joyfull in life and move toward prosperity.

In people's life there are situations which are not sometimes in their favour or the destiny had other better plans but we human beings tend to be desparate faster and not wiling to see the positivity in this and dive into the negativity and make our lives even worse by being in the state of depression and very low self esteem or decline in the confidence level. If we take a example of a student preparing for an examination and eventually fails or the odds are not in his favour then he will suffer from different pressure and overthinking or making bad decisions in his mind like sucidial thoughts which are very common in nowdays teenagers.

On the other hand, if we learn to fight back and accept the bad situation and decide to work hard to make the life condition good, in our favour then it will give a boost to our inner will and gradually increase our self esteem to a greater level that we don't have to suffer from the lack of confidence anymore. This brings positivity to our lifes and a inner will to do hard work and struggle for success.

To pen down, I would conclude that accepting a bad situation and then working hard to improve this situation is far better than sitting with it crying all your life about it

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You present a relevant opinion in the conclusion: accepting a setback and then working to improve it is better than remaining unhappy. You also attempt to discuss both perspectives, using an examination failure to illustrate the emotional effects of a bad situation and describing how effort can build confidence. However, the first view—accepting an unsatisfactory job or shortage of money—is not clearly explained as a reasonable choice; the discussion instead focuses on accepting failure and avoiding negative emotions. The examples are also general and the second view is asserted more than developed. To strengthen the response, explain why someone might accept circumstances they cannot readily change, then support your preferred approach with a specific, developed example. The response meets the stated length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a concluding opinion. Transitions such as “On the other hand” help signal the shift between perspectives, and the conclusion follows the main argument. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes unclear. The first body paragraph moves from destiny and negativity to depression, then to a student’s exam failure and suicidal thoughts, without clearly connecting each point to accepting a bad situation. The second paragraph repeats ideas about confidence and positivity rather than extending them with a distinct supporting point. Use clearer topic sentences and develop one main idea at a time; linking phrases should show the relationship between claims, not simply mark a new paragraph.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “self esteem,” “confidence,” “prosperity,” and “work hard,” and the reader can generally understand your intended meaning. However, the range is limited and several expressions are imprecise or unnatural, such as “be joyfull in life,” “the destiny had other better plans,” and “make the life condition good.” Repetition of “bad situation,” “confidence,” and “positivity” also limits flexibility. Spelling errors, including “desparate,” “wiling,” “sucidial,” and “nowdays,” are noticeable and weaken accuracy. Build a more precise set of phrases for discussing employment, finances, and coping with setbacks, and check spelling and word forms carefully. More natural collocations would make your ideas clearer and more convincing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including conditional structures such as “if we learn to fight back … then it will give a boost” and a relative clause in “a student preparing for an examination and eventually fails.” However, complex sentences are often faulty or difficult to follow. For example, the opening sentence joins contrasting views with “but” without a clear grammatical structure, while “there are situations which are not sometimes in their favour” has awkward word order. There are also errors with articles and agreement, as in “a example,” “a inner will,” and “our lifes,” as well as inconsistent tense in “the destiny had.” Break long sentences into clearer units, check subject–verb relationships, and review articles, plurals, and tense consistency.

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.