Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

It is true that increasing competition has resulted in longer working hours, making it difficult for people to spare time for their recreational activities. I believe that this situation have more drawbacks then its merits. My opinion is justified in the following paragraphs.

Discussing the demerits the foremost one I shall put forward is that a hectic schedule often reduces people's creativity because they have so little time to relax, and explore new ideas. Additionally, long working hours encourages health risk in individuals. By this I mean that people can not get enough time to do physical activities, consequently improve chances of heart diseases. Furthermore an excessive workload can significantly increase stress levels and even contribute to depression, as people often lack sufficient time to relax and are under constant pressure to meet work demand.

In fact, traditional art and cultural knowledge have gradually faded as people have become less creative. For instance, traditional handicrafts such as hand embroidery on fabric and the making of clay utensils, are gradually disappearing away because insufficient time for fun activities. Moreover, reduce involvement in creative activities can weaken practical skills, including painting, singing and dancing. As fewer people practice these activities, such valuable skills are gradually fading away. For example, I used to be

passionate about painting when I was a child. However, due to my hectic schedule these days, I rarely find time to pursue my this hobby.

On Other hand some people believe that working for long hours may improve career opportunities. As well as busy schedule has reduced family conflicts as don't have much quality time for family.

All in all it can be said that, maintaining balance between work hours and spare time is necessary to improve quality of life, increase productivity, maintain traditional culture and preserve handicrafts skills.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. You have identified the drawbacks of long working hours and provided relevant examples, such as the decline of traditional handicrafts and the impact on personal health. However, the development of the counter-argument regarding the advantages of long working hours is quite brief and lacks depth. To reach a higher band, ensure that both sides of the argument are explored with equal weight and detail. The conclusion effectively summarizes your main points, reinforcing your overall stance.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, each with a clear focus. You use a range of cohesive devices such as 'Additionally', 'Furthermore', and 'On the other hand' to link your ideas. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. For instance, the transition into the paragraph about traditional art is a bit abrupt. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different stages of your argument, which helps the reader follow your line of reasoning effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'hectic schedule', 'recreational activities', and 'excessive workload'. There are some instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'disappearing away' and 'reduce involvement', which should be 'reduced involvement'. While you attempt to use less common vocabulary, there are occasional inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. To improve, focus on using collocations more naturally and refining your word choice to ensure precision in your arguments.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you successfully use some complex forms, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'this situation have' (should be 'has'), 'drawbacks then its merits' (should be 'than'), and 'consequently improve chances' (should be 'consequently increasing the chances'). These errors are noticeable but do not generally impede communication. To achieve a higher score, work on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles and prepositions to ensure greater accuracy in your writing.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.