Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-13

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 6.5)

This is often believed by some people it will be beneficial for the co-workers to spend some time with each other during evenings and weekends. However, others think that it is better to separate a professional and personal life. In my opinion, it will be better to keep working life completely separately from social life because it helps to maintain work life balance.

Thus some individuals think it's beneficial to socialise with colleagues that will help to strengthen the relationships between them. Spending time together outside work helps colleagues know each other better on a personal level which can help build trust and make communication better. For instance, if they spend time with each other after work, they will be more comfortable and will cooperate easily at work. As a result, it will create a supporting working environment.

On the other hand, others believe it's better to keep both lives separate from each other because employees need personal time to relax. This is because they already spend a large part of their day with colleagues. If they spend evenings and weekends with colleagues that might result in less time spent with their loved ones. Furthermore, keeping personal and professional life separate allows employees to disconnect from work and reduce stress. Consequently, they will return to work feeling more refreshed and energetic.

In conclusion, although socialising with work colleagues can help build stronger relationships and improve teamwork, I believe that employees should keep their professional and personal lives mostly separate. Having enough personal time allows people to relax, spend time with their families and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both sides of the argument and providing a clear personal opinion in the introduction and conclusion. The ideas are relevant and logically developed. For instance, the argument regarding 'work-life balance' and 'stress reduction' is well-supported with clear reasoning. To reach a higher band, you could provide more specific, concrete examples rather than relying on general statements. For example, instead of saying 'spend time with their loved ones', you could mention the importance of family dinners or weekend hobbies to make the argument more compelling and nuanced.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the transition between the two viewpoints is smooth, using phrases like 'On the other hand' and 'In conclusion'. Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'Consequently', and 'As a result' are used effectively to link sentences. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the flow of information is easy to follow. To improve, ensure that you avoid slightly repetitive sentence starters; varying the structure of your linking phrases would make the writing feel more sophisticated.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with precision. Phrases like 'professional and personal life', 'strengthen the relationships', and 'maintain a healthy work-life balance' are used correctly. While the vocabulary is accurate, it is somewhat standard. To achieve a higher band, try to incorporate more 'less common' lexical items or idiomatic collocations. For example, instead of 'know each other better', you could use 'foster interpersonal rapport', and instead of 'create a supporting working environment', you might use 'cultivate a collaborative professional atmosphere'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are clear and error-free, which ensures that communication is never impeded. There are minor slips, such as 'This is often believed by some people it will be beneficial', which is slightly awkward; a more natural phrasing would be 'It is often argued that it is beneficial'. You show good control over punctuation and basic grammar. To improve, aim to use a wider variety of complex structures, such as conditional sentences or passive voice, with more consistency to demonstrate greater grammatical flexibility.

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

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