Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-24

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 often noticed that individuals these days work for long hours which leaves them with no time to spend with their loved ones or for any extra curricular activities such as swimming, gym and walk. I believe this trend has more drawbacks in comparison to the benefits.

To commence with, there are several advantages of working for more hours. The prominent one is that it provides the individual with professional growth such as promotion. To explain, if the person is working hard at their job, their work is more likely to be recognised by the management which may help them to secure a promotion. Secondly, it may provide them with financial benefits because some workplaces provide the workers with extra income if they are working overtime. As a result, it can reduce financial stress for individuals.

However, this situation has major negative effects on the overall well being of a person and it leaves them with no free time to spend with themselves or with family members. Firstly, working for long hours can leave the person feeling stressed and exhausted. To explain, if the person is working continuously with no adequate break can result in feeling burned out from stress. In addition to this, people may become distant from their friends and family members because they will be unable to spend time with them. Therefore, working individuals should prioritise and plan leisure activities such as going to the gym or outing with family so they do not feel exhausted.

In conclusion, although working for long hours can provide financial stability and career growth, spending time with family or on hobbies should not be neglected. I believe there should be proper balance between personal and professional life which can help the people to focus both at work and in their lives.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, clearly stating a position that the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. The ideas are relevant and logically developed. The advantages (professional growth, financial benefits) and disadvantages (stress, burnout, social isolation) are clearly presented. However, the development of these points is somewhat brief. To reach a higher band, you could provide more specific examples or elaborate further on the long-term consequences of these trends. The conclusion effectively summarizes your position and provides a balanced final thought, ensuring the task requirements are fully met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. You make good use of cohesive devices such as 'To commence with', 'Secondly', 'However', and 'In conclusion'. While the paragraphing is appropriate, some of the transitions between sentences could be more sophisticated to improve the flow. For instance, the link between the financial benefits and the reduction of stress is clear, but the connection between the two body paragraphs could be more seamless to enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'professional growth', 'financial stability', and 'burned out' appropriately. There is some repetition of basic words like 'people' and 'work'. To improve, try to incorporate more precise synonyms and collocations. For example, instead of 'working for more hours', you could use 'extended working hours'. While your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the variety and sophistication required for a higher band score. Focus on using more academic or topic-specific collocations to elevate your writing style.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are clear, though there are some minor grammatical slips, such as 'if the person is working continuously with no adequate break can result in feeling burned out', where the sentence structure is slightly awkward. Another example is 'help the people to focus both at work and in their lives', which could be more concisely phrased. While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more consistent control over complex structures. Increasing the variety of your sentence patterns would help demonstrate greater grammatical flexibility.

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

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