Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

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

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)

Bad situations. Not ideal but everyone faces them from time to time. Some accept them, others try overcome them and improve their state. There is no right or wrong here, that would make the narrative narrow. The bigger picture shows more than that, it shows the circumstances in which that particular person has to deal with; from cultural to economical reasons.

Taking the unsatisfactory job as a main example for the bad situation. The people that accept bad situations are not lacking in motivation per se. They could deal with responsabilities at home, as the only person with a staedy job, that could be a major reason for staying in an unsatisfactory job. Leaving that job would mean staying at home lookimng for another one for some time. What happens if they don't find it soon enough? Who will pay the bills? Insurances? Sick mother? Kids that go to school? It's not reasonable for someone with big and pressing responsabilities to leave a job even if it is unsatisfactory.

On the other hand trying to make the best of it and trying to accept it make dealing with those hard times somewhat easier.

Having the fortitude and ability to try and improve such situations, in my opinion is a blessing that not everyone can have. But honestly important as well that we should encourage one another of having and practicing more. One of the easiest things that we can control as human beings is the way that we think of something. It all begins with a thought, a desire to change your current situation, a need to be better, do better. From that thought and disere to imrpove we can get the drive and will to actually change a bad situation to a better one. For exmaple; a person dealing with a shortage of money that wants to plan a vaction in that same year may want to look at the bright side and go look for side hustles. With the increase of remote jobs, it's not unrealstic now doing three jobs at the same time. That would improve their situation and achieve their goal that they have.

Both can and should be approached based on the factors at hand. Does the person involve have a stable home? Is that person responsabile for more than just themselves? Do they have the time to actively change or is it better to accpet their situation for the time being? They can most probably have to accepet something and after a while, if the circumstances get better, have the chance to improve whatver situation they have to deal with.

In the end both arguments can be made depending on the circumstances and attitude of the person involved.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response discusses both accepting a difficult situation and trying to improve it, and it gives a qualified view that the best choice depends on a person’s circumstances. The examples of someone supporting a family in an unsatisfactory job and someone seeking extra work to fund a holiday are relevant. However, the discussion is uneven: the reasons for accepting a situation are developed through several questions, while the case for improving it relies mainly on motivation and one example. The position is also not fully decisive; phrases such as “There is no right or wrong here” and “both arguments can be made” leave the reader unsure which approach you ultimately favour. State your view more directly and explain the benefits and limits of each option in greater depth.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay has a recognisable structure: an introduction, discussion of accepting a bad situation, a contrasting paragraph, and a conclusion. Transitions such as “On the other hand” and “In the end” help signal movement between ideas. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes loose. The opening paragraph’s claim that circumstances matter is not clearly connected to a specific position, and the paragraph about improving a situation moves from mindset to remote jobs and then to planning a holiday without fully explaining the links. The conclusion repeats that circumstances determine the choice rather than synthesising the discussion. Use clearer topic sentences and connect each example explicitly to the point it supports; avoid relying on a series of rhetorical questions to carry the argument.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “unsatisfactory job,” “responsibilities,” “fortitude,” “shortage of money,” and “circumstances.” These choices help communicate the main ideas, and there are attempts at less common expressions. However, the range is uneven, with repeated general words such as “situation,” “improve,” and “person,” and several inaccurate or informal choices reduce precision. For example, “side hustles” is conversational for an academic essay, while “economical reasons” does not express the intended idea as naturally as “financial reasons.” Spelling errors such as “responsabilities,” “disere,” and “unrealstic” are also noticeable. Build a more precise range for discussing financial pressure, employment, and personal agency, and proofread carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response attempts a mixture of short statements, questions, and longer sentences with subordinate clauses, as in “Leaving that job would mean staying at home looking for another one for some time.” This gives some variety, and the overall meaning is generally recoverable. However, sentence control is inconsistent. “Some accept them, others try overcome them” joins two independent clauses with a comma and omits “to” before “overcome.” “Taking the unsatisfactory job as a main example for the bad situation” is a fragment, while “But honestly important as well that we should encourage…” lacks a complete grammatical structure. There are also errors in agreement and articles, such as “the person involve” and “a person dealing with a shortage.” Review complete sentence formation, infinitives, and subject–verb agreement, then edit punctuation in longer sentences.

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