Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-10

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people think that it’s a good idea to socialise with work colleagues during evenings and weekends. Other people think it’s important to keep working life completely separate from social life.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 7.5)

Some people believe that spending time with colleagues outside working hours can strengthen professional relationships, while others argue that work and social life should remain completely separate. Although maintaining personal boundaries is important, I believe that occasional socialising with co-workers can be highly beneficial, provided that it does not become an obligation.

On the one hand, keeping professional and social lives separate can help people maintain a healthier work-life balance. Employees already spend a considerable amount of time with their colleagues during the working week, so they prefer to devote evenings and weekends to family, friends, hobbies or personal responsibilities. In additional, becoming too socially involved with colleagues can sometimes create difficulties in the workplace. For example, personal disagreements outside work may affect teamwork, communication or professional decision-making. For this reason, some people feel more comfortable maintaining clear boundaries between their job and their private life.

On the other hand, socialising with colleagues can strengthen relationships and improve cooperation at work. Informal settings often allow people to communicate more openly and understand one another better than they can in a formal office environment. This can build trust, improve team morale and make it easier for employees to work together effectively. For instance, colleagues who occasionally have dinner together or take part in team activities may develop stronger personal connections, which can later lead to smoother communication when dealing with challenging projects.

In my opinion, the best approach is to maintain a balance between the two. Employees should not feel pressured to spend all of their free time with colleagues, as personal life and rest are essential. However, completely avoiding social interactions outside work may mean missing valuable opportunities to build stronger professional relationships. Occasional gatherings, such as team dinner or weekend activity, can be beneficial as long as participation remains voluntary.

In conclusion, while separating work from social life can protect personal time and prevent professional complications, socialising with colleagues can also improve trust and teamwork. I therefore believe that occasional interactions outside work is positive, provided that healthy boundaries are respected.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response fully addresses all parts of the task. You have discussed both perspectives—the importance of maintaining boundaries and the benefits of socialising—and provided a clear, consistent personal opinion throughout the essay. The ideas are well-developed, with relevant examples such as the potential for personal disagreements to affect professional decision-making and the role of informal settings in building trust. The position is well-supported and maintained from the introduction to the conclusion, meeting the requirements for a high band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The essay is logically organised with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central topic, and the transition between the two viewpoints is smooth, using appropriate cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand'. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the different arguments. The use of referencing is generally clear, and the flow of the argument is easy to follow throughout the text. The structure is coherent and contributes to the overall clarity of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with precision. Phrases like 'professional boundaries', 'informal settings', and 'professional complications' are used accurately. There is an attempt to use less common items, and the word choice is generally natural. While the vocabulary is effective, it could be slightly more sophisticated to reach the highest band. There are no significant spelling or word-choice errors that impede communication, and the language used is appropriate for the formal tone of an IELTS essay.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The essay displays a good variety of complex structures, such as the use of conditional clauses ('provided that it does not become an obligation') and concessive clauses ('Although maintaining personal boundaries is important'). The majority of sentences are error-free, and your control of punctuation is strong. There is a minor grammatical slip in the final paragraph ('occasional interactions outside work is positive' should be 'are positive'), but this is a rare, non-systematic error that does not affect the overall clarity of your argument.

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