Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

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 good relationships with colleagues can motivate 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 inappropriate. Consequently, it is understandable why many people regard this perspective as reasonable.

However, in my opinion, freindly working atmosphere 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 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both views and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant and generally well-supported, though the development of the second viewpoint is slightly less detailed than the first. The introduction clearly outlines the essay's structure, and the conclusion reinforces the writer's stance. To reach a higher band, ensure that the arguments for the opposing view are as fully extended as your own, perhaps by providing a concrete example of why someone might value a strict separation of work and home life, such as the need to prevent burnout or maintain professional boundaries.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the two viewpoints and the writer's own opinion. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'Consequently' are used appropriately to guide the reader. However, the transition between the second body paragraph and the conclusion is slightly abrupt. The use of referencing is generally clear, though some sentences could be linked more fluidly to improve the overall flow. Overall, the structure is coherent and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning with some flexibility. You use some good collocations like 'friendly working environment', 'reduce stress levels', and 'work-life balance'. However, there are some spelling errors ('oponents', 'arguement', 'freindly') and minor word choice issues, such as 'working stations' instead of 'the workplace'. To improve, focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and ensure careful proofreading to eliminate basic spelling mistakes, which currently prevent the response from reaching a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is clear, there are several grammatical slips, such as 'having good terms with colleagues are beneficial' (should be 'is') and 'can motivate to work' (missing an object, e.g., 'motivate employees'). Punctuation is generally accurate, but there are minor errors in sentence construction. To achieve a higher score, aim for more consistent control over subject-verb agreement and ensure that complex sentences are constructed without missing components. The majority of the text is error-free, but the frequency of minor errors keeps the score in the 6.0 range.

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