Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-16

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)

The issue of how long a person should work to have a time for a leisure time has been debatble issue since so long. This essay will disclose its reason and either it is advantageoes or disadvantageous for an individual in their life.

First and formost thing is figuring out how much a person enjoy his work? If he is getting all his joy in working on his buisness or working for a company than nobody can say that it has drawbacks. For example, Elon musk, Founder of SpaceX works 18 hours in a day and many times he also sleep in his factory to avoid in distraction by outer world. So, This thiing keeps him on track and motivated to do some productive work which is good for him and for mankind as well.

On the contrary side, Crossing an idle number working hours can cause some serious concerns. Mainly it will affect the life of dependent person in family. If a man does not give proper time to his children than the love that a child needs at an early age will not get which will have an adverse affect like there is high chances that children will devlop bad habits in early age if proper attention will not be given on them.

In conclusion, I believe that working long hours defer from person to person. If person has less influence of other members in their life and he is enjoying his work then it is better for him to work after sparing enough time for rest.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of working long hours, which aligns with the central question. The writer attempts to take a stance in the introduction and conclusion, stating that the situation varies depending on the person and whether they enjoy their work. Relevant examples are provided, such as the reference to Elon Musk to illustrate a potential advantage, and the discussion of family neglect to highlight disadvantages. However, the ideas are somewhat under-developed and lack the depth expected at higher bands. The reasoning tends to over-generalize and contains minor lapses in clarity regarding the central argument. Overall, the task is addressed adequately, fitting the criteria for Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay displays a generally coherent overall arrangement with clear paragraphing, including an introduction, body paragraphs addressing both sides of the issue, and a conclusion. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical. Transition phrases like 'First and formost' and 'On the contrary side' are used, but referencing within sentences is occasionally unclear, as seen in phrases like 'This thiing keeps him on track'. The logical progression is somewhat disjointed in places, particularly in the conclusion where the main thesis shifts slightly. While the organizational structure is discernible, the faulty cohesive devices and occasional referencing errors place this text firmly at Band 5.5.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, successfully attempting less common items such as 'debatble', 'advantageoes', and 'disadvantageous'. However, there are frequent spelling errors ('debatble', 'formost', 'buisness', 'than' instead of 'then', 'thiing', 'distraction', 'devlop', 'defer') and inappropriate word choices ('idle number working hours', 'dependent person in family'). These errors are noticeable and occasionally cause mild strain for the reader, although they do not completely impede communication. These characteristics match the descriptors for Band 5.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some variety in structure. However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, such as missing articles ('have a time for a leisure time'), incorrect prepositions ('working in a day'), tense inconsistencies, and faulty conditional or relative clauses ('If a man does not give proper time to his children than the love that a child needs at an early age will not get'). While communication is generally maintained despite these errors, the high frequency of inaccurate complex structures prevents the essay from reaching a higher band, making Band 5.0 an appropriate score.

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

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