Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-25

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)

People have different views whether people need to socialise with collegues or not when they are free from their work. Although it is good way to meet with their workmates during evening, i believe that working life totally seoare from their social life.

On the one hand, there are several reasons why people need to socialise with their colleagues. First and the foremost, When masses meet their peers at evening or weekends, they can share their problems with each others because they have also work in same places so they have enough knowledge and experience if they have any doubt so they can clear their concepts with the easiest methods. In addition to it, it helps to build good relationship between each others. Because they spend quality of time with them so they always ready to help them and they do not affraid them to share their idea with them.

On the other hand, i think that social life would keep separate from their work collegues due to certain reasons. Firstly, People should spend their free time their families during weekends because they are more busy in their work on weekdays so they have no time to sit with their families as a consequence, it put bad affect on their bonding so if they spend time with parents and children so it helps them to not only make strong relationship but also feel comfortable after sharing their problems with them. Moreover, when they spend their personal time with collegues, they know their personal relationship disputes and activities which put adverse imact on their work because sometime they can joke them and blackmail which can arise conflicts between them so they need to make space from their workmates so they live easily without any stress.

To conclude, while it is good way to spend time with their collegues after their work, i believe that people should spend free time with their family to make better relationship.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both views (socialising with colleagues versus keeping work and social life separate) and presents a clear personal opinion throughout the essay. The ideas are generally relevant, supporting the benefits of socialising with reasons such as problem-solving and relationship building, while arguing for separation due to family time and potential office politics. However, some arguments are a bit repetitive and under-developed, relying on sweeping generalisations rather than deeper extension. For instance, the discussion around office politics and potential blackmail is slightly exaggerated without clear elaboration. Overall, the task is adequately addressed, satisfying the requirements for a Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with clear paragraphing, dividing the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion logically. Cohesive devices are used to signal progression, such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'To conclude'. However, referencing and cohesion are sometimes faulty or mechanical. For example, sentences like 'First and the foremost, When masses meet their peers at evening or weekends...' lack smooth transitions and run-on structures. Pronoun referencing is also occasionally unclear, such as 'they can share their problems with each others because they have also work in same places'. Paragraphing is present and appropriate, but internal sentence cohesion requires better management, placing this response solidly at Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully communicating personal views and everyday workplace concepts (e.g., 'colleagues', 'relationships', 'workmates', 'disputes'). However, there are notable spelling and word-choice errors, such as 'collegues' instead of 'colleagues', 'seoare' instead of 'separate', and 'affraid' instead of 'afraid'. There are also frequent awkward collocations and grammatical form errors with vocabulary, such as 'put bad affect on' instead of 'have a negative effect on', and 'make space from their workmates'. While the student attempts less common vocabulary, the errors in word formation and spelling restrict the lexical score to Band 5.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, though complex structures are frequently faulty. For example, run-on sentences are common, such as: 'Because they spend quality of time with them so they always ready to help them and they do not affraid them to share their idea with them.' There are frequent errors in punctuation and articles (e.g., missing capitalisation for 'i', missing articles like 'a good way', and incorrect prepositions). Errors in verb tenses and forms also occur, such as 'working life totally seoare from their social life' and 'social life would keep separate'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, their frequency prevents the essay from reaching a higher band, placing it at a Band 5.0.

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

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