Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-19

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)

In today's fast paced world, many individuals hold diverse opinion on a wide range of topics. Many people believe that it is beneficial to socialise with colleagues outside working working whereas other opine believe that it is better to keep personal and work life separate. In my opinion, it is critically important to analyse both sides of argument before forming a well-definite opinion.

To begin with, socialising with colleagues during evenings and weekends can strengthen professional relationships. Informal gathering such as dinner, team outings or celebrations allow employees to interact in a relaxed environment, which can improve communication and teamwork in the workplace. When people know each other personally, they are often more comfortable to share ideas and resolving conflicts. For example, in many organisation, team building activities outside office hours have been shown to boast morale and productivity.

On the other hand, some argue that it is essential to keep work life and personal completely separate. One reason for this view is the need for personal boundaries. Employees may feel mentally exhausted if they spend both their working hours and their free time with the same people. Moreover, socialising outside can sometime blur professional boundaries and lead to misunderstandings or favouritism. For instance, if a manager become closer friendship with certain employees others may perceive bias which could negatively affect workplace harmony.

In conclusion, although socialising with colleagues can improve cooperation and workplace satisfaction but keeping a degree of separation between professional and personal life is equally important. In my opinion, a balanced approach allows individuals to enjoy the benefits of workplace camaraderie without compromising their private lives.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both perspectives and providing a clear personal opinion in the introduction and conclusion. The ideas are relevant and supported with examples, such as the mention of team-building activities and the potential for favouritism. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat brief. To reach a higher band, the arguments could be extended with more depth or specific real-world examples. The position is consistent throughout, and the response effectively balances the two viewpoints as requested by the task instructions.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organised with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central topic, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'On the other hand', and 'Moreover' are used effectively to link ideas. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different viewpoints. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions could be more sophisticated to avoid a slightly mechanical feel, but overall, the structure is clear and coherent.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is generally appropriate for the task, with some good collocations such as 'professional relationships', 'workplace harmony', and 'mentally exhausted'. There are a few minor errors, such as 'boast morale' (should be 'boost') and 'well-definite' (should be 'well-defined'). The range is sufficient to convey ideas clearly, but there is limited use of less common or idiomatic vocabulary that would be expected at a higher band level. The word choice is functional and precise enough to avoid any confusion for the reader.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'many individuals hold diverse opinion' (should be 'opinions'), 'resolving conflicts' (should be 'resolve conflicts'), and 'if a manager become closer friendship' (should be 'becomes closer friends'). Additionally, the sentence 'although socialising... but keeping...' contains a redundant conjunction error. While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede communication. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and ensuring that complex sentence structures are grammatically sound.

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

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