Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-28
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)
Socializing with work colleagues during evenings or weekends is commonly witnessed. Some people think it is good, while some people think it is better to maintain personal and professional life completely separate. I agree with the view that there should be a separation between personal life from being social with professional friends.
On the one hand, some people like to enhance their relationship outside of their work life to reduce stress. If they occasionally spend weekends or evenings together, they can discuss their work-related issues. Sometimes during working hours, they do not have enough time to discuss the project plans that they are working on together. Through outside meetings, they can get to know each other better and build a family relationship. Additionally, they can have an opportunity to learn more about each other by spending quality time together. This can make communication more comfortable and help them cooperate more effectively at work.
On the other hand, there should be privacy in relationships between fellow employees, because it can reduce the time spent with family and friends. Moreover, discussing work-related issues outside the workplace can make it difficult for employees to mentally switch off. For instance, an employee who spends every weekend discussing deadlines and workplace problems with colleagues may continue to feel stressed instead of enjoying their free time.
To conclude, socializing is better for strengthening workplace relationships and improving teamwork. But in my opinion, there should be boundaries between personal and professional life to maintain mental stability and spend quality time with yourself and your family.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7.0 |
| Overall | 7.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0
The response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both views—socialising with work colleagues versus keeping working and personal lives separate—and clearly presents the student's own opinion in the introduction and conclusion. Ideas are adequately extended and supported with relevant explanations, such as discussing how after-hours meetings can reduce stress and enhance cooperation, as well as the counter-argument regarding mental fatigue and privacy. The writer maintains a clear position throughout the essay. While some of the supporting points could be slightly more deeply developed to reach the highest band levels, the task is fully and competently answered, meeting all the requirements of a Band 7 performance.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0
The essay displays a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, moving effectively from the introductory statement to body paragraphs presenting opposing views, and finally to a balanced conclusion. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, featuring standard transition signals such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'To conclude'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately to separate ideas. Although referencing is mostly clear, a few transitions feel slightly formulaic, keeping the cohesion at a solid Band 7 level rather than the more natural, unobtrusive flow required for Band 8.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.5
The student demonstrates an adequate to sufficient range of vocabulary suitable for the task. Words and phrases like 'maintain personal and professional life completely separate', 'work-related issues', and 'mental stability' show that the writer can express ideas with reasonable precision. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'cooperate more effectively' and 'family relationship', though some collocations are slightly unnatural, such as 'separation between personal life from being social'. Spelling and word choice errors are minimal and never impede communication, placing the response comfortably within the Band 6.5 to 7 range.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0
The essay contains a good mix of simple and complex sentence forms. The writer successfully uses subordinate clauses and conditional structures, such as 'If they occasionally spend weekends or evenings together, they can discuss their work-related issues.' Grammatical control is generally quite good, with numerous error-free sentences throughout the text. While minor slips occur—such as the awkward phrasing in 'separation between personal life from being social'—these errors are infrequent and do not impede communication. The control of punctuation and sentence structures aligns well with the Band 7 descriptor.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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