Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-16

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 6.0)

There is an ongoing debate regarding some people who think that socializing with work colleagues after working hours or on weekends is a good idea. While others think that it is important to keep working life separate from the social life. This essay will discuss both perspectives before explaining why I believe that having good terms with colleagues are beneficial and healthy.

On the one hand, positive terms with coworkers create a friendly working environment which is significantly important for physical and mental wellbeing. Workmates in the office share a common space in most parts of their day, hanging around after office hours or on weekends helps to reduce stress levels and work pressure. Sharing common interests and hobbies strengthen their bonds which elevates the mood during office hours. For example, having a good company can motivate peers to work more efficiently and effectively while dealing with different types of workload.

On the other hand, oponents argue that privacy should be maintained at working stations as both lives are separate from each other. This arguement is largely founded on the belief that calm and composure is required to work in the offices which is based on seriousness. Socializing with these people for matters other than work commitments is both unprofessional and unethical. Consequently, it is understandable why many people regard this perspective as reasonable.

However, in my opinion, flexible working arrangements can help employees to maintain a healthy work-life balance. It promotes physical, mental and emotional wellbeing with psychological safety and boosts productivity.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While the first body paragraph provides a reasonable explanation for socializing, the second paragraph regarding the opposing view is quite brief. The conclusion is also very short and does not fully synthesize the points discussed. To reach a higher band, you should expand on your examples and ensure that your reasoning is more thoroughly explored. For instance, you could provide a concrete example of how a specific work-life balance policy might look in practice to strengthen your argument.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with clear paragraphing. You use cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'Consequently' to guide the reader through the text. However, the transition between the second body paragraph and the conclusion is abrupt. The flow of ideas is generally clear, but the connection between the arguments could be more sophisticated. Ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and that the supporting sentences directly relate to that central idea to improve the overall progression of your argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'wellbeing', 'unprofessional', and 'unethical'. There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'having a good company' (should be 'good company') and 'working stations' (usually 'workplace'). You also use 'terms' in the phrase 'good terms with colleagues', which is slightly unnatural; 'good relationships' or 'rapport' would be more precise. To improve, try to incorporate more topic-specific collocations and ensure that your word choices are consistently natural in an academic context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'having good terms with colleagues are beneficial' (subject-verb agreement: 'is' should be used) and 'oponents' (spelling). Additionally, the sentence 'While others think that it is important to keep working life separate from the social life' is a sentence fragment as it lacks a main clause. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and ensuring that your complex sentences are grammatically complete.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.