Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-02

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)

Co-workers are a crucial part of people's lives. A large number of individuals' claim that to build better relations, it is the best idea to spend time with work colleagues after the office hours, nevertheless opposed by many on the ground by saying that personal and professional lives should not be mixed. I strongly agree with the former view as there is no harm in building lifetime memories with the people who we work with everyday.

On one hand, the most prominent point is that being closer to co-workers by spending some quality time with them outside the workplace helps to reduce the stress of the work-life. To explain it, when people start socializing with their co-workers then it helps them to be close friends of each other which really effects the work environment to be better and makes it easy to handle the stress of workplace together. For example- Colleagues who are friends with each other will always work together to meet important deadlines.

Moreover, The more two people know each other's personal life the more there are chances for them to support each other in the difficult times such as financial or health issues. Not only does knowing co-workers well helps to create wonderful memories but also they can be a support for each other when needed as they will already be aware of what is going on in his/her personal life.

On the other hand, it should not be forgetten that mixing up personal and professional lives can also lead to unwanted consequences. Sometimes, having an arguement at a personal level with a person can make it difficult to work professionally with him/her which can result in awkward environment at workplace. To state an example, if two friends stop talking to each other due to some personal reasons then it will be hard for them to face each other as co-workers at the workplace.

In conclusion, although both situations have their own merits and demerits, I wholeheartedly hold the view that nothing can beat the friendship a person build with his/her colleagues which makes a persons life full of joy.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both views on socializing with colleagues and clearly stating a personal opinion. The position is maintained throughout the essay. However, the development of ideas is uneven, meeting the criteria for a solid performance while showing a tendency toward some under-development. For instance, the first body paragraph provides a relevant point about reducing stress, but the explanation loops back on itself somewhat rather than extending the argument deeply. The second body paragraph about personal support touches on a good concept, but the examples remain a bit general. To reach a higher level, the ideas need more robust expansion and more detailed, specific examples that thoroughly illustrate the arguments rather than simply stating them.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear logical progression of ideas from introduction to conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with distinct sections for the introduction, individual body paragraphs covering each view, and the final conclusion. Cohesive devices are employed to connect ideas, such as 'On one hand,' 'Moreover,' and 'On the other hand,' though some referencing is a bit mechanical or repetitive. For example, phrases like 'To explain it' and 'To state an example' show an attempt to structure transitions, but they occasionally feel slightly formulaic. Progression is generally clear throughout the text, but refining the transitional phrases to be more varied and natural would elevate the cohesion to the next level.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The writer uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common lexical items such as 'prominent point', 'unwanted consequences', and 'wholeheartedly hold the view'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice, collocation, and word form that place this response in the current band. For example, 'individuals' claim' incorrectly uses an apostrophe for a simple plural, 'effects the work environment' uses the noun instead of the verb 'affects', and 'forgetten' contains a spelling error. Additionally, phrases like 'arguement' reflect minor spelling lapses. To achieve a higher band, the vocabulary needs to demonstrate greater precision, flawless word forms, and more sophisticated collocations used with consistent accuracy.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating an ability to construct multi-clause sentences such as 'Not only does knowing co-workers well helps to create wonderful memories but also they can be a support...'. There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, including subject-verb agreement issues like 'knowing co-workers well helps' (where 'helps' should be 'help' or the structure adjusted) and prepositional awkwardness like 'on the ground by saying'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, though commas are occasionally misplaced or omitted around dependent clauses. These errors rarely impede communication, but they persist throughout the text. A wider variety of fully error-free complex structures and tighter grammatical control are needed to progress further.

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