Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-11-02

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)

Everyone has their own view about life. Some people believe that every hardship is a challenge sent upon us by the God; others take it as a curse. Some people have decreased urge of wanting things, they are happy in their lives with what they have. On the constrast, others want a lot of things, eventhough they already have enough for themselves.

There are people who believe that if they are stuck in a bad situation like an unsatisfying job, they believe if they kept resilient against the situation than there might be a possibility of improvement instead of just accepting the defeat or accept it as their fate. This also depend on person needs especilly the shortage of money. for example, if a person don't have a big family or huge expenditures then he would definitely say that money don't bother him much, and this thing bother the people around him who are suffering to make both ends meet. On the other hand, if a person have lots of responsiblities on his shoulders, he has to support his family, look after the fees of his children, have to manage the bills, so with all that on his shoulder he would defintiely complain about the shortage of money issues.

My personal view is that the job must be satisfactory and there should not be money problem present in the present time. We should keep on improving our lives it our basic need to have good life where you have mental peace and financial stability.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address both perspectives: the first is represented by accepting hardship or being content with what one has, while the second is discussed through trying to improve an unsatisfactory job or financial circumstances. Your final sentence also gives a personal view in favour of improvement. However, the discussion is only partially developed. Much of the money example explains how people’s responsibilities affect whether they feel short of money, rather than showing clearly why someone should accept the situation or try to change it. The opening comments about hardship as a challenge or curse are not connected to the task’s two arguments. State your position more clearly and support each view with a focused reason or example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic overall shape: an introduction, a discussion of difficult circumstances, and a concluding personal view. Connectors such as “On the other hand” help signal a contrast, and the example about family responsibilities gives the central discussion some direction. However, progression is uneven: the opening shifts between hardship, fate, and wanting things without establishing how these ideas relate to the question. The long middle paragraph combines several points, and repeated phrasing such as “some people believe” and “he would definitely” makes the development feel repetitive. Use separate paragraphs for the two views, then a conclusion, and make each paragraph’s main point explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary, including “unsatisfying job,” “shortage of money,” “financial stability,” and “mental peace,” so the topic is generally understandable. There are also attempts at less common expressions, such as “make both ends meet” and “responsibilities on his shoulders.” However, the range is limited and several choices or forms are inaccurate, including “decreased urge of wanting things,” “accepting the defeat,” and “money problem present in the present time.” Spelling errors such as “constrast,” “especilly,” and “responsiblities” also reduce accuracy. Aim for precise, natural collocations and check spelling; for example, describe people as “content with what they have” rather than using an unclear phrase about their urge to want things.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentences, including conditional structures such as “if a person have lots of responsibilities … he has to support his family.” However, complex sentences are often faulty, and errors occur frequently enough to make some passages harder to follow. Examples include “if they kept resilient … than there might be,” where the verb form and conditional construction are incorrect, and “This also depend on person needs,” which has agreement and possessive errors. Other examples include “a person don’t have” and “money don’t bother him.” Sentence boundaries and capitalisation are also inconsistent, as in “for example” after a full stop. Practise accurate conditionals, subject–verb agreement, and punctuation before adding more complex structures.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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