Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-16

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)

The debate about whether or not to socialise with acquantainces after office hours is contentious. Although some people prefer to keep a distinct boundary between their personal and professional lives, I firmly believe socialising with colleagues outside work promotes healthy relationships at the workplace.

On the one hand, supporters of socialising with co-workers contend that it offers greater cooperation between them and boosts work productivity. This is because when co-workers party together, they may develop healthy realtionships, which can help them to cooperate better at the workplace. Subsequently, greater work cooperation improves work productivity by avoiding unnecessary tensions, which otherwisse could hinder the job performance. For example, when employees of a small IT firm socialise on weekends, they may become friends, resolve conflicts at work and improve work production. Therefore, partying with co-workers is beneficial for them as well as the company.

On the other hand, critics argue that there should be a distinct boundary between one's personal and professional life. They believe that spending time with colleagues beyond office hours may bring back work related discussions and stress. Moreover, for single employees it can lead to gossiping and unprofessional romantic relationships, which could be damaging for their reputation. For most of married employees, evening and weekend hours generally mean unwinding and spending quality time with family. For instance, an office manager may prioritize spending time with family and choose not to enagage in social activities with colleagues after work hours to relax himself. Thus, keeping working life completely seperate from social life is vital to break away the monotony of work.

In conclusion, although the decision to socialize with colleagues primarily depends on the priorities of employees, I beleive it is favourable because it not only improves cooperation amond the co-workers but also maintains harmony at the workplace.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The student successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both views on socialising with colleagues and clearly stating a personal opinion. The position is maintained consistently throughout the essay, from the introduction to the conclusion. Main ideas are extended and supported with relevant explanations and examples, such as the example of employees in a small IT firm. While the arguments are generally well-developed, there is a slight tendency to over-generalise in places, which places the response comfortably at Band 7.0 according to the task response descriptors. Overall, the task requirements are thoroughly and effectively met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay displays clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct central topic, with appropriate opening phrases such as 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand'. Cohesive devices are used effectively to connect ideas, as seen in expressions like 'This is because' and 'Subsequently'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately to separate the introduction, two body paragraphs, and the conclusion. Although referencing is mostly clear, a few minor mechanical links slightly prevent the essay from reaching higher band levels. Overall, the structural flow is well-managed and meets the criteria for Band 7.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The writer uses a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow some flexibility and precision, employing terms such as 'contentious', 'professional lives', and 'monotony of work'. Less common lexical items are attempted with some awareness of style and collocation, although there are a few spelling errors ('acquantainces', 'realtionships', 'otherwisse', 'enagage', 'beleive', 'amond') and minor word-choice inaccuracies ('work production' instead of 'work productivity'). These errors do not impede communication and allow the essay to fit securely within the Band 6.0 range, showing adequate resource for the task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The essay demonstrates a good mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating subordinating clauses such as 'Although some people prefer to keep a distinct boundary...' and 'This is because when co-workers party together...'. There is good control over grammar and punctuation overall, although a few minor errors persist, such as 'For most of married employees' instead of 'For most married employees' and unnecessary reflexive pronouns like 'to relax himself'. These grammatical lapses do not hinder understanding, and the majority of sentences remain accurate, justifying a solid Band 7.0 score for grammatical range and accuracy.

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