Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-22
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)
These days, many individuals become busy for a long duration during their work, consequently having less time for entertaining activities. I believe that there are more benefits than drawbacks.
In the situation of spending more time at work is financially beneficial for people because they are doing overtime or part-time jobs, which help them counter their financial challenges, keep their family happy and provide opportunities to buy some luxuries for their lives. In addition to achieving the financial freedom goal, spending more time at work individual also earn more experience by dealing with more job tasks, which leads to growth in their career development.
On the other hand, working long hours has a few drawbacks as well, such as spending more time at work
individuals having less time to spend with their family, entertainment and participation in social activities, resulting in their physical and mental health being affected a lot, moreover, their absence from social activities causes them to isolate from their surrounding society.
In conclusion, the individual spends more time achieving more financial and career opportunities, but in addition, there are some disadvantages, such as having less time with family and in the surrounding society caused bad mental health.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses the prompt by discussing both advantages and disadvantages, but it fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words. At only 200 words, the development of ideas is significantly curtailed. While you clearly state your position that there are more benefits, the arguments remain superficial. For instance, the point about 'financial freedom' is mentioned but not fully explored with specific examples or logical depth. To improve, you must expand your body paragraphs with more detailed explanations and concrete examples to meet the length requirement and provide a more thorough analysis of the topic.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your argument. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'In addition to', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' to transition between ideas. However, the flow within paragraphs is sometimes repetitive, and the connection between sentences could be smoother. For example, the final sentence of the third paragraph is a run-on, which disrupts the logical progression. To achieve a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of cohesive devices and ensuring that each sentence builds logically upon the previous one without relying on repetitive structures.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate your main points clearly. You use some relevant terms like 'financial challenges', 'career development', and 'social activities'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'become busy for a long duration during their work' and 'isolate from their surrounding society'. To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations and academic vocabulary. Avoid repeating simple words and aim for more sophisticated synonyms to demonstrate a broader range of lexical control.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with verb forms and sentence construction. For example, 'spending more time at work individual also earn' is grammatically incorrect; it should be 'by spending more time at work, individuals also earn'. Additionally, there are issues with punctuation and run-on sentences, such as in the third paragraph. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and ensure that complex sentences are punctuated correctly to avoid confusion.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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