Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-02

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 5.5)

It is crystal clear that nowadays almost everyone are busy in their working life, so everyone need some break or rest from job for couple of days, such as weekends or rest in evening time after job. While some people believe that socialise time with work colleagues during evenings and weekends are better choice. Other argue that working life supposed to be separate from private life.

This essay will discuss both perspectives before presenting my own view.

On the one hand, supporters of the statement that working life should be separate from social life, because they believe everyone need some private space or time to give their families. Moreover, we saw some cases of Back pain mostly in those who are not giving time to their health due to spending over time with their job colleagues. For instance, according to a report published by The United States, 30% of young people under age of 35 facing high health issues due to lack of time for fitness and spending more times in work environment.

On the other hand, many believe that it is good if people spend their break time or weekends with employees in work place. So that they can give more time to their job tasks and colleagues. Which could help them to build strong relations. Moreover, they will get more experienced in current job.

In conclusion, I am agree with this statement that working life should be separate from social life. Because everyone should spend some time with families and for fitness.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is limited. For example, the argument regarding health issues is somewhat tangential and lacks a clear logical link to the topic of socialising with colleagues. The second body paragraph is quite brief and lacks specific examples or deeper analysis of why socialising might improve job performance. While the task is addressed, the ideas are under-developed, and the supporting evidence is not fully integrated into the argument. To reach a higher band, you should expand on your points with more detailed explanations and relevant, real-world examples.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion'. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly inaccurate, such as starting a sentence with 'Which could help them...' or 'Because everyone should...'. These fragments disrupt the flow of the text. Additionally, the transition between ideas within paragraphs could be smoother. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each sentence is a complete, grammatically sound unit that connects logically to the previous one.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it is somewhat repetitive and lacks precision. Phrases like 'socialise time' (should be 'socialising') and 'give their families' (should be 'spend time with their families') indicate a limited range of collocations. You attempt to use some topic-specific vocabulary, but there are instances of word-choice errors, such as 'employees' when you likely meant 'colleagues'. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to work-life balance and professional relationships, and pay closer attention to word forms and standard collocations to ensure your writing sounds more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'everyone are busy' (subject-verb agreement), 'socialise time' (incorrect word form), and 'I am agree' (incorrect verb structure). You rely mostly on simple sentence structures, and attempts at more complex sentences often contain errors, such as the sentence fragment 'Which could help them to build strong relations.' To improve, you need to focus on basic subject-verb agreement, correct verb forms, and sentence construction. Practising the difference between simple, compound, and complex sentences will help you demonstrate a wider range of grammatical structures with greater accuracy.

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.