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)

It has been argued by some individuals that socializing with work colleagues outside work hours is better, while others believe that people should maintain their social life different from working life. This essay will discuss both aspects, and in my opinion, people should not interact with office workers during free times.

On the one hand, spending some time with colleagues during free times has some benefits. One of the primary benefits is that it is convenient to discuss work problems with the employees who are working in the same company as no one can understand these situations properly. By doing this, people can get some suggestions regarding how they can deal with issues related to work and feel stress free at workplace. In addition, they can make strong friendships and enjoy spending worktime while working with them.

On the other hand, I largely believe that people should totally keep a distance from co-workers after work. The main reason is that if they spend their evenings and weekends with their colleagues, they would not get a sufficient amount of time with their families. Consequently, they cannot make their relationships strong with their loved ones. Furthermore, there would be no time left for doing exercise or other physical activities in order to stay fit. Therefore, they can face some health related issues such as obesity or cardiovascular diseases.

In conclusion, although meeting with colleagues during free times is helpful in some ways such as people can easily discuss work problems with those who are working in the same company, I am on the side of those individuals who think that after work hours there is no need to interact with colleagues because they cannot enhance their relationships with their families and they would have time to do exercise or other physical activities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both views and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant and logically extended, such as the discussion on work-life balance and physical health. However, the development is somewhat repetitive; for example, the argument about 'discussing work problems' is mentioned in both the body paragraph and the conclusion. To reach a higher band, ensure that each paragraph introduces distinct, well-supported points rather than restating the same concepts. The position is consistent throughout, and the essay structure is appropriate for the task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central topic, and the transition between the two viewpoints is marked by clear signposting phrases like 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand'. Cohesive devices are used effectively, though some are slightly mechanical or repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'in addition' and 'consequently'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different perspectives. To improve, try to vary the cohesive devices to create a more natural flow between sentences and ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task and allows for clear communication. You use some topic-specific terms like 'cardiovascular diseases' and 'work-life balance' (implied). However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a reliance on simpler phrasing, such as 'good idea' or 'make strong friendships'. Some collocations are slightly unnatural, such as 'interact with office workers' or 'enjoy spending worktime'. To achieve a higher band, incorporate more precise academic vocabulary and idiomatic expressions to demonstrate a wider range of lexical control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are recurring grammatical inaccuracies. For instance, 'social life different from working life' should be 'separate from working life', and 'during free times' is better expressed as 'during their free time'. There are also minor errors in article usage and preposition choice. While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the essay from reaching the higher bands where a majority of sentences should be error-free. Focus on refining subject-verb agreement and prepositional phrases.

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

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