Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-25

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 has been an ongoing debate among numerous individuals about the work life balance. A few of them believe that interacting with coworkers outside working hours is a great way to socialise, while there are a handful of citizens who think that professional life should stay parallel with community life. In this easy, I'll be discussing both the viewpoints before stating my opinion.

On the one hand, there are a number of reasons to favor this argument and the most significant one would be to have a better understanding about your team. This will be useful in treating them like family, and achieve the deadlines more effectively and efficiently. This can be illustrated by an article published in a well-known newspaper stated that the better work circle a person has at their company, it helps them in thinking more creatively about the projects assigned to them. Moreover, employees are able to find a safe-space at their work-place to reach out to in a difficult time period. Hence, going-out with colleagues is beneficial in being more progressive in the task achievement.

Nevertheless, the drawbacks of this trend cannot be ignored. One of them would definately be the balance between personal and professional life. This practice can lead to conflicts between families as they might not get enough time to spend together. Not only this, but it can create misunderstandings between the closed-ones and cause mental stress. For instance, the survey conducted by a psychology student clearly mentioned that most number of fights between couples are due to not being present at home, which result in further marriage issues. Therefore, socializing should be kept separate from employment to avoid the disputes between family members.

To recapitulate, in my point of view there should be a balanced approach towards this practice by creating boundaries and having proper planning to have the best of both the worlds.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both viewpoints and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant and generally well-developed, such as the benefits of team cohesion and the potential for domestic conflict. However, some arguments could be extended further; for instance, the link between socializing and 'creative thinking' is mentioned but not fully explored. The position is consistent throughout the essay, and the conclusion provides a balanced summary. To reach a higher band, ensure that all supporting examples are fully integrated and logically connected to the main argument.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand,' 'Nevertheless,' and 'To recapitulate' are used effectively to guide the reader through the argument. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each paragraph focusing on a central theme. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions could be more sophisticated to avoid a slightly mechanical feel. Referencing is clear, and the progression of ideas is logical throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, with some attempts at less common items like 'progressive' and 'recapitulate.' However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'community life' instead of 'personal life' and 'closed-ones' instead of 'loved ones.' The phrase 'most number of fights' is also slightly awkward. While the range is sufficient to convey meaning clearly, more precise and natural collocations would elevate the score. The spelling is generally accurate, with the exception of 'definately.'

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is good control over basic grammar, but there are some recurring errors, such as 'an article... stated that' (which should be 'an article... stating that') and 'result in further marriage issues' (which should be 'results in'). Punctuation is generally handled well, though there are minor slips. The variety of structures is sufficient for the task, but more complex, error-free sentences would be required for a higher band. The errors present do not impede communication.

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