Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-24

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)

In this challenging economic times , it is often a common practice to accept bad situation whether it be in terms of unsatisfactory job or shortage of money. Although these can be fruitful on several situations a person should always be open to working hard to get out of the situation.

Some events cannot be predicted prior and can cause a major impact on the person's life financially as well as mentally.

These situations can arise from property disputes, unsatisfactory job, health problems or can be shortage of money as well. Therefore some people argue it is better to accept a bad situation and go along which can be considered as a viable option sometimes when you are unsure and cannot rely on external help.

There is always a possibility of not letting the situation overcome your abilities and seeking external help if needed. A deterministic person along with resilience can try and improve the situation by himself and seek professional help if needed. Bad situations are considered as the tooughest challenges for a human and can make him mentally strong enough for further challenges. for example, A friend of mine had failed the engineering entrance and was on the verge of dropping out but seeking help from a professional counsellor and some helpful conversation from friends and family encouraged him and achieve the target score he expected.

In conclusion, I believe that whatever the situation is, there is always a possibility that it will work out later if you keep trying.Also accepting the situation is a major part of character development.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both views and state a personal position: accepting a difficult situation can sometimes be viable, but people should also work to improve it. The example of your friend seeking counselling and support gives the argument for taking action some relevant support. However, the two sides are not developed equally. The reasons for acceptance are mostly general—for example, being “unsure” or unable to rely on external help—while the benefits and practical limits of trying to improve a situation could be explained more fully. The conclusion introduces character development, but this point is not clearly connected to the discussion. Develop each view with a specific reason and make your position more precise throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction to discussion of acceptance, then action, and finally a conclusion. This gives the reader a basic route through the ideas. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes unclear: the second paragraph lists several causes of hardship before returning to why acceptance may be viable, and the example in the next paragraph is not smoothly linked to the general claim. Some connections are also mechanical, such as repeated use of “situation” and the abrupt “for example” sentence. Use clearer topic sentences, connect each example explicitly to the point it supports, and make the relationship between the two views easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including “resilience,” “external help,” “property disputes,” and “character development.” These choices help communicate ideas about hardship and coping, and the meaning is generally clear. There are also some inaccurate or unnatural expressions, such as “fruitful on several situations,” “predicted prior,” and “a deterministic person,” which make parts of the argument less precise. Spelling errors such as “tooughest” and inconsistent word forms also reduce accuracy. Aim for natural collocations and precise terms rather than choosing formal-sounding words that do not fit the intended meaning; proofreading would help catch spelling slips.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including the opening concessive clause beginning “Although” and the sentence about seeking help. The main ideas remain understandable, but some errors in sentence structure, agreement, articles, and punctuation are noticeable. For example, “In this challenging economic times” has an agreement and article problem, while “encouraged him and achieve the target score” does not maintain a consistent verb form. The opening sentence also has an incomplete construction after “whether it be.” Commas are sometimes separated from the preceding word, and the final paragraph runs ideas together. Check agreement and verb forms, and divide or punctuate sentences so each clause is complete.

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