Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-07

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 this contemporary epoch, staying in touch with friends is really challenging. While, some people believe there is no harm to spend time with people from workplace, others think that setting boundaries with colleagues are essential to maintain work life balance. This essay will discuss both views, followed by my opinion in the favor of later proposition in the conclusion.

On the one side, one section of the society believes socializing with work partners are important to maintain healthy and it enhances team bonding. It has often seen, friends, who are working in the same company, are more productive and have better team coordination. If all people spend their time with colleagues after working hours and that might help them to develop healthy relationships, which ultimately helps company to increase its productivity. Hence, it has proved that colleagues with good relations are important for company's growth.

On the other side, some people claim that, setting boundaries with colleagues are good to reduce conflicts and better to maintain work balance life. Everyone spend eight hours of the day in the office with their boss and other officemates, which is a great amount of time. Most of the people need some personal space after work to relax and forget office stress. If people meet their colleagues after working hours they will never able to heal themselves from the mental stress they have due to workload. this is the reason people need personal time with their families and friends only.

In conclusion, Although spending weekends and off days with work partners are good chances to know each other and build strong work environment, I opine, the time a person spend in office is more than enough and after working hours and weekends should be reserved for their families and friends only.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion in the introduction and conclusion. The ideas are relevant, such as the benefits of team bonding versus the need for personal space to avoid burnout. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For example, the argument regarding productivity could be further supported with a specific example of how socialising improves communication. The essay maintains a consistent position throughout, which is a strength. To reach a higher band, ensure that each paragraph contains more detailed explanations or concrete examples to fully flesh out the arguments presented.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organised into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. The progression of ideas is easy to follow. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'On the one side', 'On the other side', and 'In conclusion', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or repetitive. Additionally, there are minor issues with referencing and sentence-level cohesion, such as the phrase 'in the favor of later proposition', which is slightly awkward. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would enhance the overall flow and coherence of the writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'contemporary epoch' and 'proposition', though some collocations are slightly unnatural, such as 'work partners' instead of 'colleagues' or 'coworkers'. There are also minor errors in word choice, such as 'maintain healthy' (should be 'maintain health'). To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and academic vocabulary. The range is sufficient to communicate effectively, but more sophisticated and varied lexical choices would elevate the score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues like 'socialising... are important' (should be 'is important') and 'setting boundaries... are good' (should be 'is good'). There are also minor punctuation and article errors, such as 'in the favor of later proposition'. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher band score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and proofreading for small grammatical slips will be beneficial.

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

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