Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-06

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)

Over the last few years, the number of people who prefer to work a long hours, thereby sacrificing leisure activities, has increased significantly. Although there are several pros and cons. In this essay, I will discuss both the positive and negative impacts.

There are several pros to working long hours. Firstly, increased productivity means more chances of solving problems at work and making more profit for the company. As a result, individuals have higher chances of getting appraisals to climb the corporate ladder.

Secondly, many companies pay overtime to their employee, which is beneficial for both, as companies get the pending work done and employees get the extra boost to income for their hardwork.

Despite of pros, an unbalanced work-life balance can causes disturbance in a person's mental health. To explain this further at, work employees often feel anxiety and confusion that creates burnout and ultimately it lower their productivity. Moreover, not having enough time for recreational activities can feel like running in the same cycle and not having a time for enjoyment in life. Which necessary to make us feel fulfilled and energized. Notwithstanding, A recent survey revealed that more than 50 to 60% of adults face anxiety and depression specifically of work. Therefore, It indicates that pleasure and relaxation are necessary for us to maintain good harmony in life.

To conclude, double duties have several benefits to uplift careers and increasing the earning potential for many of us, but stress and anxiety cannot justify the glory of money . Thus, trying to live a balanced work-life is the key to living happily.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The essay addresses both sides of the argument, discussing the benefits of productivity and income alongside the drawbacks of mental health issues. However, the position is not fully developed. While you mention that you will discuss both sides, you do not clearly state your own opinion until the very end, and the conclusion is somewhat brief. To reach a higher band, ensure your position is clear throughout the essay and provide more specific, extended examples rather than general statements. The prompt asks if there are more advantages or disadvantages; your response should ideally take a clearer stance on which side outweighs the other.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, each with a clear focus. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'Moreover', and 'To conclude' to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or misused, such as 'Despite of pros' (should be 'Despite the pros') and 'Notwithstanding' used at the start of a sentence to introduce a supporting fact. The paragraphing is appropriate, but the flow between ideas could be smoother. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring they are used with grammatical accuracy will help improve the overall coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'corporate ladder', 'recreational activities', and 'earning potential'. However, there are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'double duties' (which is not a standard collocation for working long hours) and 'justify the glory of money'. Some errors, like 'it lower their productivity' (should be 'lowers'), are minor, but they indicate a need for more precise control over word forms and collocations. Expanding your vocabulary to include more sophisticated, natural-sounding phrases would enhance your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'a long hours' (article error), 'can causes' (subject-verb agreement), and 'not having a time' (article error). Additionally, there are punctuation issues, such as the sentence fragment 'Which necessary to make us feel fulfilled and energized.' While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and article usage will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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