Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-31
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 5.0)
People who spend excessive hours at work, leaving very little time for leisure activities, can experience both positive and negative impacts on their lives. This essay will discuss its advantages or disadvantages.
On the positive side, only by spending excessive amounts of time at work can people earn a higher income, which helps them to lead more comfortable and convenient lives. If people do not earn sufficient money, they may have to suffer from financial difficulties. For instance, people who work overtime may never face serious financial difficulties. Not only do higher incomes provide better lifestyles, but they also help parents provide their children with a good education at reputable schools. Therefore, working long hours can provide several positive effects.
On the negative side, leaving limited time for leisure activities can create many negative effects, resulting in poor posture, unhealthy lifestyle, increase the amount of stress and obesity.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, reaching only 148 words. This significantly impacts the development of ideas. While the essay introduces both sides of the argument, the discussion is severely underdeveloped. The conclusion is entirely missing, and the negative impacts are listed rather than explained or supported with examples. To improve, you must expand each body paragraph with detailed explanations and specific examples to ensure the topic is fully addressed as required by the prompt.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay uses basic cohesive devices such as 'On the positive side' and 'On the negative side' to structure the response. However, the progression of ideas is limited due to the brevity of the text. Paragraphing is present, but the lack of a concluding paragraph makes the overall structure incomplete. The logical flow is clear, but the lack of depth prevents the development of a cohesive argument. To improve, ensure you include a clear introduction, well-developed body paragraphs, and a summary conclusion.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is generally appropriate for the topic, such as 'financial difficulties' and 'reputable schools'. However, the range is limited and repetitive. There are some minor errors in collocation, such as 'unhealthy lifestyle' (which should be 'an unhealthy lifestyle'). The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the basic meaning but lacks the variety and precision required for higher bands. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated synonyms and collocations related to work-life balance and health.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as the list in the final sentence: 'resulting in poor posture, unhealthy lifestyle, increase the amount of stress and obesity.' This lacks parallel structure and contains a tense/form error ('increase' should be 'increased' or 'an increase in'). While the errors do not completely impede communication, they are noticeable. To improve, focus on maintaining parallel structure in lists and ensuring consistent verb forms.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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