Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-20

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)

There are contradicting views when it comes to deciding whether one should spend their leisure time with work colleagues or keep the interactions to workspace only. Some people argue that it's wise to have cordial relation with the coworkers. While others focus on the significance of keeping personal matters away from work to avoid getting into any trouble. In my view, both of these have their own pros and cons. However, I personally am in favour of socialising with the peers outside office as well.

Getting to spend time with the workmates after work has certain noteworthy perks. One of which is having friends around during exhausting working hours. It gives you a sense of comfort and being at home while away from home. In addition to that, if we look at contemporary lifestyle, individuals no longer have time or opportunities to meet and interact with new people. Having likeminded colleagues can surely fill this gap. I can still remember the time when I was in China. Going out with my peers would be enough to brighten my day and forget all the stress after a long work day.

On the other hand, it sometimes can be detrimental too. There are substancial chances of getting involved in workplace politics if your colleagues have an access to your personal life. The personal limitations can be used against you. Similarly, it can impact the ornanogram as well. If your sub-ordinates become extremely comfortable with you, you might find it challenging to get the work done by them.

To sum up, socialising with workfellows during evenings and weekends can have both it's pluses and minuses. In the same manner, keeping work life completely separate from social life can have both advantages and disadvantages. One can choose whaterver suits them as per their v

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.5
Lexical Resource6.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.5
Overall6.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views on socialising with colleagues and providing a clear personal opinion. The student's position is stated in the introduction and maintained throughout the essay. Ideas are extended and supported, particularly in the body paragraphs where relevant perks and drawbacks are explored, such as emotional comfort versus workplace politics. For instance, the personal anecdote about working in China effectively supports the benefits of socialising with peers. While some arguments could be explored in greater depth, the response meets all the requirements of Band 7. The prompt is fully addressed and ideas are well-supported.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay displays a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, moving smoothly from the introduction to the advantages, the disadvantages, and a brief conclusion. Cohesive devices are used adequately and appropriately, such as 'On the other hand', 'In addition to that', and 'To sum up'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to structure the text logically, although the final conclusion is abruptly cut off mid-sentence. Overall, the referencing and flow are well managed, aligning comfortably with a Band 7 descriptor.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using less common lexical items such as 'detrimental', 'contemporary lifestyle', and 'substancial'. There is good awareness of collocation and style, although a few minor spelling and typographical errors are present, such as 'substancial' instead of substantial, 'ornanogram' instead of organogram, and 'whaterver' instead of whatever. These occasional errors do not impede communication, and the vocabulary employed is varied and appropriate, supporting a solid Band 6.5 or 7.0 performance.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating relative clauses and conditional forms effectively, such as 'If your sub-ordinates become extremely comfortable with you, you might find it challenging to get the work done by them.' There are some minor grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, notably 'have an access to' and the minor slip 'it's pluses and minuses' where the possessive apostrophe is misused instead of the contraction. However, the majority of sentences are grammatically sound, and punctuation is generally controlled well, fully justifying a Band 7 score.

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

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