Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-03

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 6.0)

In recent years, the trend of working long hours has significantly increased. Mnay people do less leisure activities as they just concentrate on their work for long hours. While this development has several benefits, it also has certain drawbacks. This essay will discuss both sides of the issue and why advantages outweigh disadvantages.

One major drawback of working long hours is left with less time for leisure activities. Poeple spend their most of the time at work, after that they do not have much time to spend on other activities. Another disadvantage is that if people spend many hours at work then they will not have much time to spend with their friends and family to do some fun activities. For example, many young people who are working in corporate companies do overtime so that they can earn extra money and they ignore leisure activities. Therefore, many people work long hours for money.

However, there are many benefits. One major advantage of working long hours is the growth of workers. Some employees prefer to work overtime so that they can learn many things which leads to make them smarter than others. Hard work and consistancy makes people smarter and develop skills such as communication, presentation and many more. Another benefit is that people waste precious time on free activities which are not important in life as it is recommended to spend that time on work. For instance, people who spend their hours at work irrespective of spending that time on leisure activities become successful early in life. Thus, it is essential for people to know where to spend time precisely.

In conclusion, although over work makes life boring, people do extra work for growth and learn new things in life. Advantages of working extra and doing less leisure activities are than the disadvantages. It is advisable to work long hours so that people can get success earlier.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The essay addresses all parts of the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout, arguing that the advantages of working long hours outweigh the disadvantages. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument that working long hours leads to 'growth' and 'making people smarter' is asserted rather than fully explained with concrete, logical reasoning. While the essay provides examples, such as young people in corporate roles, these could be more deeply explored to reach a higher band. The conclusion clearly restates the position, but the overall depth of analysis remains at a 6.0 level due to the tendency to over-generalize the benefits of overwork.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'One major drawback,' 'Another disadvantage,' and 'However,' which help guide the reader. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or repetitive. For example, the transition 'Thus, it is essential' and 'In conclusion' are standard but lack variety. Additionally, some sentences within paragraphs feel slightly disjointed, such as the transition between the idea of 'wasting time' and 'becoming successful.' Overall, the progression is clear, but the flow could be improved with more sophisticated linking phrases.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'corporate companies,' 'consistancy' (spelling error), and 'leisure activities.' However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'growth of workers' and 'make them smarter than others,' which lack precision. Spelling errors like 'Mnay' and 'Poeple' are present, though they do not impede communication. To improve, the writer should focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding repetitive word choices.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors that affect the quality of the writing. Examples include 'do less leisure activities' (should be 'fewer'), 'is left with less time' (awkward passive construction), and 'leads to make them' (incorrect verb form). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the sentence structure often feels repetitive. The writer demonstrates an ability to construct complex sentences, but the frequency of minor errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Greater attention to subject-verb agreement and article usage is recommended.

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.