Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-06

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)

In this contemporary world, human beings are becoming extremely workaholic, in consequence get very less time for leisure activities. The work place duress and other major responsibilities have fundamentally transformed the way we are dedicating our time towards our work and for our selves. Although this action would be generating financial benefits, the consequences have disadvantage for our personal life. There are some considerable reasons behind this action and would be discussing in upcoming paragraphs.

To begin with, maximum number of employees devoting their time to work and perform beyond their contracted hours in order to obtaine extra money in their pay checks due to financial and family responsibility. The cost of surviving is rising day by day and thus people required enough of funds to maintain their status and fulfilling their basic needs of shelter, food, medical expenses and children responsibility. For example, here in Canada the basic living cost is about $2500 and for that every commoner often do overtime at their work place in order to get decent pay check. Another reason behind this action is certain employees' thinking strategy they often think that working bayond their contracted hours will grant them promotion or will get raise soon or they would like to compete with their fellow employee.

Nevertheless, this method of earning has some adverse effect on mankind. People are unable to provide enough of the time to their family or to themselves. Moreover, in longer vision they often face physical health problems such as back pain, muscle pain, joint problems, etc. The leisure activities plays a vital role in our life and specifically for our mental health, thus it is necessary to do work life balance so that we can do extra activities in our life such as excercise, playing video games, spending time with friends and exploring new places, etc. To illustrate more, according to the research it is necessary to spend at least 2 hours in a day for ourselves in order to make better version of ourselves.

In essence, it is undeniable that the cost of living requires workers to perform overtime at their work place however, we should not ignore the disadvantages it brings to our lives. In order to overcome the issue the employers are responsible to establish some strict rules and pay some compensations to the employees for their hard work so that they can easily maintain their personal and professional life.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both the financial pressures driving long working hours and the subsequent disadvantages on personal and family life. The student's position is clear throughout, and relevant ideas are presented, such as the rising cost of living and the impact on health. However, certain points lack full extension; for instance, the notion that employees work longer hours simply out of a desire to compete with peers or gain quick promotions is introduced but not thoroughly explored. The arguments lean towards generalisations without deeper analysis, which fully satisfies the requirements of the lower band while exhibiting only partial characteristics of the higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

There is a clear logical organisation and progression throughout the essay. The response is divided into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, distinct body paragraphs focusing on causes and effects respectively, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Nevertheless', and 'In essence' are used effectively to guide the reader through the argument. Referencing is generally clear, and paragraphing is managed appropriately. Although some transitions feel slightly mechanical, the overall arrangement is coherent, fully meeting the criteria for this level.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The writer demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common phrases such as 'contemporary world', 'work place duress', and 'vital role'. However, there are notable spelling errors ('obtaine', 'bayond', 'excercise') and some awkward word choices or collocations, such as 'cost of surviving' instead of 'cost of living' and 'longer vision' instead of 'the long run'. These lexical slips do not impede communication, allowing the reader to follow the arguments easily, which is characteristic of this performance level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts at subordination with phrases like 'Although this action would be...'. However, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation, particularly with subject-verb agreement and article usage, such as 'leisure activities plays', 'people required', and 'the leisure activities plays a vital role'. Prepositional errors and awkward phrasing also persist, as seen in 'do not ignore the disadvantages it brings to our lives' and 'spend at least 2 hours in a day'. While these errors do not severely impede communication, they reflect a control level typical of this band.

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