Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-07
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)
People work for extended hours to complete their work, which seems to be needed to accomplish a certain job. However, It has more disadvantage than the advantage as workong longer hours makes us feel tired and we also lose creativity.
When we work for long hours , we feel more tired as we will get less time for rest. We have to take appropriate time to rest before becoming ready for any other task, but if we work more hours, we will definitely be burn-out and cannot work properly. For instance, a person working for longer shifts cannot perform him day to day life in a correct manner as he is tired of work while a person with adequate rest will perform better in in everyday life and will work better in his job as well.
Further, we will lose creativity if we work continously for longer period of time. Our mind becomes monotonous by doing same job for extended period. We need time for refreshment and to get recharged. For example , a person who balances his work schedule will tend to perform well in any project he/she does. He/she is well organized and full of energy which is lacked by the one who works longer.
Working a longer shift can help in short term while in long term the person becomeas tired and loose creativity. Hence, The disadvantage of working long hours outweigh the advantages.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The essay addresses the prompt by taking a clear position that the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. However, the response is under the 250-word minimum requirement, which limits the depth of the arguments. While the ideas regarding fatigue and creativity are relevant, they are somewhat repetitive and lack detailed development. The examples provided are generic and could be more specific to better support the claims. To improve, you should expand on your points with more concrete illustrations and ensure you meet the minimum word count to allow for a more thorough exploration of the topic.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'However', 'For instance', and 'Further' are used to link ideas, though some transitions feel a bit mechanical. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the internal structure of the paragraphs could be strengthened by using a wider variety of linking words to improve the flow. The referencing is mostly clear, though some sentences are slightly disjointed due to the limited range of cohesive devices employed.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for a higher band. You rely on basic terms like 'work', 'tired', and 'job' repeatedly. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'perform him day to day life' instead of 'manage his daily life' and 'is lacked by the one' instead of 'is lacking in the one'. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated synonyms and collocations related to the workplace and personal well-being to demonstrate a broader lexical range.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally affect clarity. Examples include 'It has more disadvantage than the advantage' (pluralization error), 'workong' (spelling), 'will definitely be burn-out' (incorrect verb form), and 'the person becomeas tired and loose creativity' (spelling and verb agreement). While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement, correct verb forms, and proofreading for minor spelling slips will significantly improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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