Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-12

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 that it is the best to accept a bad situation, such as an unsatisfactory job of shortage of money, for example let us assume a person who is around 24 years of age, and let's say he has completed his degree, so his next goal should be to get a job. That doesn't mean he/she should continue with a job that he has no interest on. He/she should instead joing the job just to accept it for the time being, they should wait for an opportunity that they are interested in, till then working in an unsatisfactory job, or in a bad situation with a shortage of money is acceptable.

On the other hand, it is better if we try to improve such situations by working part time or getting ceritified on a skill based course at the same time, one should always have the right to change their job if they aren't interested in doing so. To improve such situations there can be other various ways in which a person can feel productive and do other skill sets.

Hence in conclusion, My opinion over this situation is that, a person who is passionate about his/her interest, must move on and try to get skills or certification, while if the person who doesn't want to achieve anything in life they shall accept their situation. I therefore end this opinion with a quote that once Dr. APJ Abdul Kalaam said, "Success is a vehicle that moves on its wheels called Hard work, and with the fuel Practice, but the journey isn't possible without it's key called Self-Confidence".

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both views and give a personal position: the first paragraph explains accepting an unsatisfactory job temporarily, while the second suggests training or part-time work to improve circumstances. However, the discussion is only partially developed. The first view is illustrated through a hypothetical graduate, but the reasons for accepting a difficult situation are not explored in depth; the second view lists possible actions without explaining how they would improve the situation. Your conclusion also introduces a judgement that people who “doesn't want to achieve anything” should accept their circumstances, which is not clearly supported and makes your position less consistent. Develop each view with a clear reason and a relevant example, and state your own position more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with separate paragraphs for the two views and a concluding paragraph. Linking phrases such as “On the other hand” and “Hence in conclusion” help signal the stages of the discussion. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes unclear: the opening sentence runs through a hypothetical example before reaching its main point, and the second paragraph moves from part-time work to changing jobs and then to “other various ways” without explaining the connections. References such as “they” and “this situation” can also be vague. Organise each paragraph around one main claim, then explain and illustrate it, using clearer links between ideas rather than relying mainly on transition phrases.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the topic, including phrases such as “unsatisfactory job,” “shortage of money,” “opportunity,” and “skill-based course.” There are also attempts at more specific wording, such as “passionate” and “productive.” However, the range is limited and some choices or collocations are inaccurate or repetitive, including “do other skill sets” and “other various ways.” Spelling errors such as “joing,” “ceritified,” and “Kalaam” are noticeable and reduce accuracy. Aim for more precise expressions for employment and financial hardship, and proofread carefully. Using a wider range of natural collocations would make the discussion clearer and more fluent.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, including conditional phrasing such as “if we try to improve such situations” and a relative clause in “a person who is around 24 years of age.” However, complex sentences are often difficult to control, and errors sometimes make relationships between ideas unclear. For example, “for example let us assume a person…” creates an awkward, incomplete construction, while “a person who doesn't want to achieve anything… they shall accept” shifts between singular and plural reference. There are also problems with articles, agreement, and punctuation, as in “it is the best to accept” and the long opening sentence joined by commas. Practise shorter, accurately punctuated sentences before combining ideas into complex structures.

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