Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-25

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 best to accept a bad situation like an unsatisfactory job or shortage of money while others think that it is better to try and improve such situations.

Based on my knowledge, some people choose their fate that they have to undergo the bad situation as they belive that the good things might come up later.Their solution is simply to go with the flow because they think that they will learn something from it. For example , one of my friend joined a pharmaceutical company. She joined the team finished goods . She was expecting to run HPLC machine after gaining some experience but 6 months later her team was changed from finished goods to raw materials where there was less opportunity to run a HPLC. So realistically, she accepted her fate because she belived that she will learn something and will be able to run various types of machines and it will help her to gain experience while having hand on expertise on those machines.

Besides that, it is also mentioned that some people argue that is better to try and improve such situations. I believe the reason why they act the way is because they think that if they will not try to improve the situation it will become worse.For instance, a person had to undergo shortage of money . Logically they will feel low at one point , they might have to experience a shortage of money and had to live on the streets. Regarding that matter, they figured out a solution to improve such situations by saving money by getting a part time job. This solution will help them to gain extra money to pay their daily expenses such as electricity bills or water. This means the problems are solved.

In my honest opinion, I strongly suggest that one can act in both situations according to their need. When facing a problem think of your best solution if you can't figure out something just leave them .There is no need to figure out something which will take time or cause stress.

In conclusion, the main important thing when facing bad situations is to analyze the problem. Not all bad situations needs to be ignored and not all needs to be improved.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You discuss both views and give a personal position: the pharmaceutical-company example illustrates accepting an unsatisfactory situation, while the part-time-job example supports trying to improve a shortage of money. Your conclusion also returns to the idea that the response depends on the problem. However, the discussion is only partly developed. The first example explains what your friend hoped to learn, but does not clearly weigh the benefits of accepting the job against the drawbacks. The second example is more practical, though the claim that the problems are solved is too definite and not fully supported. Your opinion that people can do either is relevant, but the conditions for choosing one approach remain vague. Develop the reasoning behind your position and explain the limits of each response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, your opinion, and a conclusion. Examples are generally placed alongside the view they illustrate, which helps the reader follow the topic. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes unclear, and linking phrases can feel mechanical or imprecise. For example, “Besides that” introduces the second view without showing its contrast with the first, while “Regarding that matter” does not clearly connect the financial problem to the proposed solution. The final opinion paragraph also moves quickly from considering a solution to advising readers to leave a problem alone. Use clearer contrast and cause-and-effect links, and make each paragraph develop one central point in a more deliberate sequence.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “unsatisfactory job,” “shortage of money,” “part-time job,” and “daily expenses.” Some phrases, such as “go with the flow” and “gain experience,” help convey the examples. However, the range is limited and several choices are awkward or imprecise, which sometimes makes the meaning less clear. “Choose their fate” does not naturally express accepting circumstances, and “hand on expertise” is not the appropriate collocation. There are also spelling errors, including “belive” and “belived,” and repeated general wording such as “bad situation” and “improve such situations.” Build a more precise range for discussing coping strategies, consequences, and financial pressures, and check spelling and collocations during revision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including clauses with “because,” “while,” and “when,” and the overall meaning is usually recoverable. However, control is inconsistent, especially in longer sentences, and errors sometimes make relationships between ideas difficult to follow. For example, “some people argue that is better” is missing a subject after “that,” and “if they will not try” uses an unsuitable verb form in the conditional. In “Not all bad situations needs,” the subject and verb do not agree; “they might have to experience a shortage of money and had to live” also mixes verb forms. Sentence boundaries and punctuation need attention, particularly in “just leave them .There is no need.” Practise accurate conditional forms, agreement, and sentence construction before adding more complexity.

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