Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-12

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 6.5)

Working for long hours has become increasingly common. Although it can prove to be advantageous for employers, it can have adverse effects on employees' well being. In my opinion, the disadvantages clearly outweigh the advantages.

One of the main advantages for employers is that they can get more work done from the same employee, thereby reducing the number of employees they need to hire. This can significantly reduce labour costs because one employee may be able to handle a workload that would otherwise require two people by working longer hours. As a result, employers can save not only on salaries but also on office rent, as they may not need larger premises to accommodate additional staff.

On the other hand, employees may feel burned out from an excessive workload. Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is essential for protecting employees' mental well-being. People who spend long hours at work have less time to relax and may miss important family events because of the pressure to complete their tasks before deadlines. For example, an employee may miss their child's birthday because they have to stay late at work to finish a presentation that is due the following morning. Over time, this can lead to stress and dissatisfaction, ultimately reducing employees' quality of life.

In conclusion, employers can benefit from their employees working longer hours, but this comes at the expense of their employees' mental health. Overall, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages, and employers should ensure that employees maintain a healthy balance between work and their personal lives.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student addresses all parts of the task by discussing both advantages and disadvantages, ultimately taking a clear position that the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. The ideas are relevant and supported with explanations, such as how employers save on labour costs and office rent, and how employees face burnout and miss family events like a child's birthday. The position is maintained throughout the response, and the arguments are extended, although they could have been slightly more fully developed to reach the highest bands. The writer successfully meets the requirements of the prompt by providing reasons and a personal example. Therefore, this performance aligns well with the Band 7 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay displays a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, moving from a well-defined introduction with a clear thesis statement, to an advantage paragraph, a disadvantage paragraph, and a concise conclusion. Cohesive devices are used effectively to guide the reader, such as 'Although it can prove to be', 'As a result', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, ensuring that the structure supports the central argument. There is no faulty referencing or mechanical linking, demonstrating a solid command of coherence and cohesion equivalent to a Band 7 level.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary for the task with some flexibility and precision. Phrases such as 'increasingly common', 'adverse effects', 'well-being', 'excessive workload', and 'quality of life' indicate an ability to use less common lexical items with an awareness of style and collocation. Word choices are generally accurate, and spelling is correct throughout. While it does not consistently display the wide, highly sophisticated vocabulary of an 8.0 or 9.0 band response, the lexical resource is entirely adequate for clear communication and meets the criteria for Band 7.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The writer uses a variety of complex sentence structures effectively, including concessive clauses ('Although it can prove to be advantageous...') and conditional meanings ('workload that would otherwise require two people...'). There are frequent error-free sentences, and the grammar and punctuation are under good control. Minor lapses do not impede communication; for instance, 'well being' is written without a hyphen, but this is a very minor slip. The grammatical control and range displayed throughout the essay comfortably fit the Band 7 descriptors, featuring a good mix of complex forms with high accuracy.

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

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