Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-07

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 7.5)

In many countries, working for long hours is becoming the norm as people try to achieve financial security and success. Hence, their focus on free-time activities is reduced significantly. This trend has both benefits and demerits which I will discuss in the following paragraphs along with why I believe that the disadvantages of this approach outweigh the advantages.

Working longer hours has its own benefits. Extra hours of service result in higher salaries, promotions and greater job security. One can gain more experience than others by taking longer hours of responsibility in their profession. For example, a doctor can earn more working overtime, achieve financial stability and achieve success in their career by gaining more experience. Moreover, one can consider retirement earlier than expected when securing adequate funds for the future.

On the opposite side, spending excessive time at work may lead to several negative consequences. It leads to physical and mental exhaustion and causes stress, anxiety, and other health-related problems. Therefore, it could reduce productivity and it may invite serious medical conditions. Additionally, this could weaken family relations where the involved individual feels emotional distance. This damage might be irreversible. For instance, a person who is spending more hours at work often misses the opportunities to have dinner together with the family which can become a major cause of a cold relationship or even divorce.

In my opinion, a healthy work-life balance approach minimizes health risks. One can feel motivated, refreshed, and confident by adopting the habit of performing their hobbies or taking rest in their leisure time.

Overall, working longer hours often eases achievements and success, but this may negatively impact health, relationships and quality of life. Therefore, a balanced approach of work and self-time should be adopted to stay healthy and show involvement in social life.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the task, providing a clear position that the disadvantages of working long hours outweigh the advantages. The ideas are relevant and supported with examples, such as the doctor's career progression and the impact on family life. The position is maintained throughout the essay. However, the development of the 'advantages' section is slightly more concise than the 'disadvantages' section. To reach a higher band, you could further elaborate on the long-term societal benefits of a highly productive workforce to create a more balanced and nuanced argument, ensuring that the depth of analysis is consistent across both sides of the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central topic, such as the benefits of long hours or the negative consequences on health and relationships. Cohesive devices like 'Moreover', 'On the opposite side', and 'Therefore' are used effectively to guide the reader through the argument. The progression of ideas is smooth and easy to follow. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct points. The structure is clear and supports the overall argument well, demonstrating a good command of organizational features.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with precision. Phrases like 'financial security', 'irreversible', and 'work-life balance' are used appropriately. There is an attempt to use less common vocabulary, such as 'demerits' and 'adequate funds', which adds to the formal tone. While the vocabulary is generally accurate and natural, it does not consistently reach the level of 'sophisticated' or 'skilful' use of uncommon lexical items required for the highest bands. The word choices are functional and clear, effectively conveying your meaning without any significant errors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The essay displays a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. You use complex sentences effectively, such as 'A person who is spending more hours at work often misses the opportunities to have dinner together with the family which can become a major cause of a cold relationship or even divorce.' Grammar and punctuation are generally accurate, and errors are rare and do not impede communication. The control over verb tenses and subject-verb agreement is consistent. To improve, you could incorporate a wider variety of advanced grammatical structures, such as inversion or more sophisticated conditional sentences, to demonstrate greater flexibility.

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

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