Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-11

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 widely acknowledged that individuals work longer hours to meet their monthly expenses and not be able to spend time for leisure activities. In my opinion, the advantages of this situation outweigh the disadvantages as working for a longer hours help them to maintain a batter quality of life.

On the one hand, the main disadvantage for working longer hours is serious health issues. If individuals around the world work hard and do not get enough time for leisure activities, they might start suffering from mental health problems such as depression and overthinking. For instance, according to a recent survey, people who regularly work overtime shifts suffer from problems such as back pain. Therefore, it is always advisable to take enough rest and participate in other activities to stay physically fit.

On the other hand, the main advantage of working longer hours is better career prospects. If employees are dedicated towards work by working extra hours, they are more likely to get promoted than other employees who do not work overtime. Furthermore, another advantage is that individuals can earn additional income, which can be helpful to become financially stable and provide their loved ones a better quality of life. To illustrate, a person with financial stability can afford higher education fees for their children. Similarly, they can travel internationally without worrying about expenses.

To sum up, although working overtime can cause serious health related problems, I firmly believe that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages as it helps them to have better career prospects and provide batter facilities for their family.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all parts of the prompt by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of working long hours and clearly stating your position. Your ideas are relevant and supported with examples, such as the mention of career advancement and financial stability. To reach a higher band, ensure that your arguments are more fully developed. For instance, while you mention health issues, you could expand on the long-term societal impact of such a trend. Your position is consistent throughout the essay, which is a strength. Overall, you have provided a clear and logical response to the task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use cohesive devices effectively, such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'Furthermore', which help guide the reader through your arguments. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. However, some transitions could be more sophisticated to improve the flow between sentences. For example, the link between the health argument and the conclusion could be smoother. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'financially stable', 'career prospects', and 'widely acknowledged'. However, there are some spelling errors, such as 'batter' instead of 'better', which occur twice. Additionally, some word choices are slightly repetitive or basic. To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations and less common vocabulary to demonstrate a wider range. While your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, increasing the variety and accuracy of your word choices would help you achieve a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this level. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'working for a longer hours' (should be 'working longer hours') and 'not be able to spend' (should be 'and are unable to spend'). Despite these errors, your meaning is always clear, and the mistakes do not impede communication. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and article usage. Increasing the frequency of error-free complex sentences will help you move toward a higher band in this criterion.

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

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