Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-11

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 7.0)

It is often argued that interactions with fellow workers outside the working hours particularly in the evenings and weekends is ideal while others believe that there should be a clear line between social and personal lives. I strongly believe that a distinction between professional and personal relationships is a must.

On the one hand, spending time with colleagues is beneficial as a sense of trust and professional connections has been developed. People may feel more comfortable helping each other and creates a healthy and friendly working environment. For instance, going out for dinner or for camping is helpful to know each other in a more effective way and is beneficial to learn about strengths and weaknesses of fellow workers. Secondly, meeting with colleagues on regular basis prevents work-related stress from affecting personal life. For example, people who plans dinners or other recreational activities outside the working hours may develop stronger professional bonds which can increase work productivity.

On the other hand, many people prefer to keep their personal and professional lives completely separate. One major reason is employees need sufficient personal time to spend with their family and loved ones. To epitome, if workers collaborate more with their colleagues, there are more chances of conflicts in their private lives as they cannot give proper attention and love to the family members. Furthermore, a break from work environment is necessary to overcome work related stress. In this way a person can pursue their personal interests and hobbies.

In conclusion, although socializing with colleagues can strengthen professional bonds and improve productivity, I opine that maintaining a boundary between workplace and personal relationships is more important for employee's well being.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all parts of the prompt by discussing both perspectives and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant and generally well-developed. For instance, you provide logical reasons for both socializing (trust, productivity) and maintaining boundaries (family time, stress relief). However, some points could be extended further to reach a higher band. For example, the argument about 'conflicts in private lives' is a strong point but could be explained with more depth. Overall, your position is consistent throughout the essay, and the response is well-structured to meet the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'Secondly', and 'Furthermore' to guide the reader through your arguments. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two opposing views. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions could be more sophisticated to avoid a slightly mechanical feel. Referencing is mostly clear, though some minor improvements in the use of linking words would enhance the overall cohesion and make the progression of ideas feel more natural and seamless.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your ideas clearly. You use topic-specific terms like 'professional connections', 'work-related stress', and 'recreational activities'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'To epitome' (which should be 'To epitomize' or 'For example') and 'on regular basis' (which requires an article: 'on a regular basis'). While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. Incorporating more precise, less common lexical items would strengthen this criterion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several instances of grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('people who plans' should be 'people who plan') and missing articles ('the working environment'). Additionally, 'creates a healthy' lacks a clear subject in that clause. Despite these errors, your meaning is always clear, and the complexity of your sentence structures shows an attempt to use a variety of forms. Focusing on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and article usage will help you achieve a higher score in this area.

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

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