Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-05

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 5.5)

It is seen in the today's world that many people work long hours, leaving very little time for leisure activities. It has both Prons and Cons which are discussed in the following paragraphs. However, from my view, spending too much time in working without sparing time for leisure activities makes a person dull and boring.

It increases the productivity when a person spends too much time in the work without getting distracted and helps a person to thrive in the work. For example, if a person continuously works on a project for a company, he becomes an expert in it and gain knowledge about all the aspects of it which helps in getting promotion in a job. For some people, spending time on leisure activities creates hinderance while for others it helps in increasing the concentration and keeping themselves happy.

Having said this, sparing sometime for leisure activities works as a disturbance for some people. For say, if a person spends time on travelling, they keep on thinking about the fun they had during the trip even after coming back from the trip and this creates intrusion in their work in concentration and leads to blunders in delivering the work. This leads to their pitfall in the professional life.

To conclude, it is really important to balance the work and free time activities to enjoy. The time spent on fun activities should not lead to create a distraction but a positive impact on the persons personality and performing well in the regular day to day activities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both advantages and disadvantages, though the development is somewhat uneven. You clearly state your position in the introduction, which is a strength. However, the arguments are occasionally contradictory or confusing. For instance, in the second paragraph, you argue that long hours increase productivity, but then suggest that leisure activities help concentration. The third paragraph attempts to argue that leisure is a 'disturbance,' which is a unique perspective but lacks sufficient logical support or clear examples. To improve, ensure each paragraph focuses on a single, well-developed idea that directly supports your overall stance, rather than presenting conflicting viewpoints within the same section.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'However,' 'For example,' and 'To conclude.' However, the flow between ideas is sometimes mechanical or slightly disjointed. For example, the transition between the benefits of working long hours and the potential drawbacks of leisure is abrupt. Additionally, some referencing is unclear, such as the phrase 'For say' which is non-standard. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that the progression of ideas within and between paragraphs is smoother and more natural.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate your ideas clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'productivity,' 'professional life,' and 'distraction.' However, there are several instances of awkward word choices and spelling errors, such as 'Prons and Cons' (Pros and Cons), 'hinderance' (hindrance), and 'intrusion in their work in concentration.' These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the precision of your writing. To improve, focus on learning the correct spelling of common academic vocabulary and practice using collocations—words that naturally go together—to sound more fluent.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'It is seen in the today's world' (remove 'the'), 'gain knowledge' (should be 'gains'), and 'leads to create a distraction' (should be 'leads to a distraction'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While you attempt complex sentences, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from being consistently accurate. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles, and proofread your work specifically for these common grammatical slips.

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

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