Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-28

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people like to try new things, for example, places to visit and types of food. Other people prefer to keep doing things they are familiar with.

Discuss both these attitudes and give your own opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

 

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Job satisfaction or earning a good money is the most debatable topic nowadays. Some people hold this perception that Satisfaction plays a crucial role in someone's life however, on the other hand they believe making a high salary leads to a good life. In the following paragraphs I will explain the both viewpoints and brief on my opinion.

Considering a high paying job in life gives a financial freedom for the present as well as the future. To explain it more, in today's world where everything comes with a price tag. In order to achieve those things whether it is basic human need or a comfort, we need to have a bunch of money. As a result, having a well-paid job has become a necessity than luxury.

On the other hand, job satisfaction holds it's own value to usher in internal peace and feeling of fulfilment that would never happen with only wealth. To cite an example, according to a survey by Harvard University, life expectancy of people having a satisfaction at job is greater than echelons with a job that just makes them happy on payday. Furthermore, if a person is happy because of his good satisfactory job, there are more chances of having a good family at home. His calmness makes conducive environment both at work and home.

As far as my opinion is concerned, having a equal balanced of both money and job satisfaction could be more beneficial to become a good leader at work to provide right direction, and a good human at home having a successful family.

To conclude, although a well paid job can bring a sense of financial security, job satisfaction has an it's place for a successful life.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 3.0

The response is off-topic. The prompt asks to discuss the preference for trying new things versus sticking to familiar routines. However, your essay discusses job satisfaction versus high salary. Because you have addressed a completely different topic than the one provided in the instructions, the task achievement is severely compromised. While you have followed the structure of an essay and provided an opinion, the content does not fulfill the requirements of the prompt. To improve, ensure you carefully read and identify the core theme of the task before beginning your response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, with an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. There is a clear progression of ideas within the paragraphs, and you use some cohesive devices such as 'On the other hand', 'Furthermore', and 'To conclude'. However, because the content is irrelevant to the prompt, the overall coherence is undermined. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the ideas flow reasonably well, but the lack of relevance to the actual task prevents a higher score.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'financial freedom', 'echelons', and 'conducive environment'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'earning a good money' (should be 'earning good money') and 'having a equal balanced' (should be 'having an equal balance'). Despite these, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly. To reach a higher band, focus on more precise collocations and avoid minor grammatical errors in word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'it's own value' (should be 'its'), 'an it's place' (should be 'its place'), and 'the both viewpoints' (should be 'both viewpoints'). While these errors are noticeable, they do not generally impede communication. You have attempted complex structures, but the frequency of minor errors in articles and possessive pronouns keeps the score in the mid-range. Focusing on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and article usage would improve your accuracy.

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

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