Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-07-31

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Many people work long hours, leaving very little time for leisure activities.

Does this situation have more advantages or more disadvantages?

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

 

Student answer (Band 7.0)

Nowadays, many individuals working overtime and spend little time to relax or enjoy recreation activities. Although this may help to earn more money and achieve career success in life, I believe disadvantages outweigh the advantages because it can negatively affect person's health and relationships.

On the one hand, spending long hours at work has advantages. Employees may earn more money, which is benificial to support their families and enjoy a higher standard of living. Additionally, people who work hard may gain valuable experience, enhance their professional skills, and increases chances of getting promotions. For example, a recent workplace survey conducted in Edmonton, found that employees who worked extra hours on daily basis is more likely to receive promotions and increases thier salary because of thier willingness to thier responsibilties.

On the other hand, working long hours has several detrimental effects. To begin with, spending too much time on computer or at working place can cause stress, tiredness and other health problems. This is because employees may not get enough sleep or don't have enough time for exercise, healthy meal, or relax. As a result, they may diagnosed by physical problems such as back pain and headaches, as well as mental health issues such as anxiety. Inaddition, It can negatively affect on friends and family realtionships. For example, parents is not be able to spend enough quality time with their children and may miss important emotional moments in their lives, such as birthdays or school competitions.

In conclusion, although working long hours can improve people’s income and better career opportunities, I believe that working long hours can has more side effects because it can affect individual's both physical and mental well-being and reduce the bond for personal realationships.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response addresses all parts of the task and maintains a clear position throughout. The arguments regarding the advantages (financial gain, career progression) and disadvantages (health issues, relationship strain) are relevant and logically developed. The introduction clearly states the writer's stance that the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. To reach a higher band, the student could provide more nuanced analysis or deeper exploration of the long-term societal implications of overworking, rather than relying on general statements. Overall, the ideas are well-supported with examples, such as the mention of workplace surveys and specific family scenarios, which effectively illustrate the points made.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the advantages and disadvantages. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'Additionally', 'To begin with', and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to guide the reader. However, there are some minor issues with referencing and flow, such as the slightly awkward phrasing in the transition to the conclusion. The use of cohesive devices is generally flexible, though some transitions feel a bit mechanical. Overall, the structure is clear and supports the development of the argument well.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task. There is an attempt to use topic-specific language such as 'professional skills', 'detrimental effects', and 'well-being'. However, there are several spelling errors (e.g., 'benificial', 'thier', 'realtionships', 'Inaddition') and some minor collocation issues (e.g., 'diagnosed by physical problems' instead of 'diagnosed with'). While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more careful proofreading and a wider range of precise vocabulary to reach a higher band. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the writer attempts complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'employees who worked... is more likely', 'parents is not be able') and verb forms (e.g., 'can has more side effects'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some issues with sentence boundaries and word order. Despite these errors, the meaning remains clear throughout the response. To improve, the student should focus on mastering subject-verb agreement and ensuring consistent verb tense usage across complex structures.

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