Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-05

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)

Many people have very less time for their hobbies or interests because of long working hours. There are many things which inspires us in living life happily. Their are advantages and disadvantages for the above statement and it will be elaborated in further paragraphs.

Firstly, many people could not pursue their career in the field they like. For example, although a person who is having keen interest in becoming a wild life photographer, has to continue his career in different field because of the family pressure. As a result, they have to spend their time for this activities apart from working hours. Observing the time constraint, a person who is pursuing their career in their field of interest, will get the benefit of long work hours.

However, if the same example is considered and in this case if a person is not able to continue his career as a wild life photographer will regret having less time and cannot do it even in his free time. Furthermore, it is a disadvantage for people who needs a lot of time spending for their hobbies. And after working for long time usually a person will take a break and relax from their hectic schedules. In resetting themselves will consume a lot of time that they will be not able to find enough space to do their loving things.

In conclusion, as per the arguments the disadvantages outweigh the advantages for the people who are getting minimum of the time to spend for themselves for continuing their hobby.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing the disadvantages of long working hours, but the development of ideas is limited. While you mention both advantages and disadvantages, the argument remains somewhat superficial. For instance, the example regarding the wildlife photographer is a bit confusing and does not clearly explain why long working hours would be an advantage in that specific context. To improve, ensure that your position is clearly stated in the introduction and that each body paragraph provides a well-developed, logical argument supported by clear examples. The conclusion is present but could be more robust in summarizing the main points discussed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly inaccurate, such as 'In resetting themselves will consume a lot of time'. The progression of ideas is occasionally difficult to follow because the link between the working hours and the examples provided is not always explicit. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'on the other hand') more naturally to connect your sentences and paragraphs, ensuring that each idea flows logically into the next.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for a higher band. There are some repetitive phrases and minor errors in word choice, such as 'very less time' (should be 'very little time') and 'loving things' (should be 'things they love' or 'hobbies'). You rely on basic vocabulary throughout the response. To improve, try to incorporate more topic-specific collocations related to work-life balance and professional life, and work on using more sophisticated synonyms to avoid repetition and add nuance to your arguments.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

There is a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but the accuracy is inconsistent. You have several grammatical errors, such as 'Their are advantages' (should be 'There are'), 'a person who is having keen interest' (should be 'a person who has a keen interest'), and 'people who needs' (should be 'people who need'). These errors occur frequently and occasionally distract the reader. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles. Reviewing basic sentence construction and proofreading for common slips will help you achieve more error-free sentences, which is essential for a higher band score.

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

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