Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-29

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)

There is an ongoing discussion regarding

people working long hours, with nearly no time for relaxation. In my view, the drawbacks of this trend far outweigh its advantages.

To begin with, it is evident that in today's competitive market the professionals are tend to spend more time working to keep up with competition and grow in their career. This stems from the fact that there is high supply of qualified professional but not enough demand for them. Focusing on work and giving in long hours does benefits them in various ways like better compensation and perks as well as faster advances in job that as a result leads to better standard of living.

Despite these benefits, a counter-argument exists that giving long hours at work affects the person's mental as well as the physical health along with their personal relationship. This is largely because people tent to avoid the signs from their body and procrastinate their personal commitments like going to gym, attending a family event or visiting a doctor to achieve that one professional milestone. A clear illustration of this is that people are on their laptops or mobile attending to the work calls or completing that one task even when they are home having dinner, travelling or seating in a gathering with friends and family. Ultimately, this results in burn-outs, depression, critical health issues and family disputes.

In conclusion, while there are valid points on both sides, I believe that instead of burning out at work and gradually losing it to depression or other health concerns there should be work-life balance with fixed working hours and a cut-off time for work calls, so people get enough time to relax and rejuvenate before getting back to work with fresh thoughts and energy to give their full potential to the job.

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 first body paragraph discusses the professional benefits of long hours, while the second paragraph provides a detailed counter-argument regarding health and personal relationships. The response is well-structured and maintains a consistent focus throughout. To reach a higher band, the student could provide more specific, real-world examples rather than general observations, which would further strengthen the depth of the argument.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Despite these benefits', and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to guide the reader through the argument. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each paragraph focusing on a central theme. The progression of ideas is smooth and easy to follow. The use of referencing is generally clear, though some minor improvements in the variety of linking words could enhance the flow further.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is sufficient for the task and allows for clear communication. The student uses some topic-specific vocabulary such as 'competitive market', 'standard of living', 'procrastinate', and 'rejuvenate'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'giving in long hours' (should be 'putting in') and 'faster advances in job' (should be 'faster career advancement'). While these do not impede communication, they prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. Expanding the range of collocations would improve the score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'the professionals are tend to spend' (should be 'professionals tend to spend'), 'does benefits them' (should be 'benefits them'), and 'people tent to avoid' (should be 'tend to'). Additionally, there are minor punctuation and article errors throughout. While these errors are noticeable, they do not significantly impede the reader's understanding. To improve, the student should focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct usage of auxiliary verbs.

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

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