Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-30
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 people increasingly work long hours to earn sufficient money to purchase a wide variety of things. Although, earning higher income can make life easier and comfortable but it may also have several negative effects on peoples' lives when individuals do not participate in enjoyable activities. This essay will discuss both positive and negative effects.
To begin with, working excessive hours can have positively affects people's lives. Not only can people fulfill their financial dreams, but it also enables parents to provide their children with good education at reputable schools. Moreover, only when people can pay their bills and rents, purchase a wide variety of things, improve the quality of individuals' lives. For instance, people who take low- paying jobs may have to face several issues, especially in urban areas. Therefore, it is necessary for work long hours to earning an enough income to complete their basic needs.
on the negative side, leaving very little time for leisure activities can negatively impact on individuals' lives by creating physical and mental issues. Leisure activities help individuals to get break from heavy stress. if people participate in leisure activities, they become physically an
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, as it is only 192 words long. Furthermore, the essay is incomplete, ending abruptly mid-sentence. While you have attempted to address both sides of the argument, the ideas are under-developed due to the lack of length. The position is clear, but the lack of a conclusion and the unfinished nature of the final paragraph significantly hinder the task completion. To improve, you must ensure you fully develop your arguments with sufficient supporting examples and complete the essay structure within the time limit.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay uses basic cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Moreover', and 'on the negative side' to signal the structure. However, the progression of ideas is interrupted by the incomplete nature of the text. Paragraphing is attempted, but the final paragraph is cut off, which disrupts the logical flow. Referencing is generally clear, but the lack of a concluding paragraph makes the overall organization feel unfinished. To reach a higher band, focus on ensuring each paragraph is fully developed and that the essay has a clear, logical conclusion that summarizes your main points.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You use some relevant terms like 'financial dreams', 'reputable schools', and 'leisure activities', but there is repetition of basic phrases like 'people's lives' and 'wide variety of things'. There are also minor errors in word formation, such as 'positively affects' (should be 'positive effects') and 'earning an enough income'. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations and avoid repeating the same basic vocabulary throughout the essay.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. For example, 'Although, earning higher income can make life easier and comfortable but...' contains redundant conjunctions. There are also errors in verb forms, such as 'it is necessary for work long hours to earning an enough income'. Punctuation is inconsistent, particularly with the use of commas and capitalization at the start of sentences. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct sentence construction will help improve your score in this area.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.