Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-07

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)

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. In my opinion, there is no right or wrong, as both views have merit. However, I am inclined towards the first view that it's a good idea to socialise with work colleagues during evenings and weekends.

I strongly believe that a lot of people fail to realise the significance of having a strong bond with their work colleagues. Your colleagues are the one who contribute most towards your success. Nowadays, the work environment has completely transformed. It's more about teamwork now, therefore it's important that you have a good bond with your work colleagues so that they support you during tough times, take up your tasks when you are struggling to meet tight deadlines, and push you to reach your potential.

Hence, to get the most out of your team, it is important that you establish a good relationship with your working colleagues and that will only be possible if you will spend time with them and put in all your effort to understand their needs so that you can accommodate them in the best possible way.

Alternatively, some people think it's important to keep working life completely separate from social life. It is also true that sometimes a lot of involvement in each others life can create a fuss. This is the reason that some people prefer to keep it seperate. For example, imagine if you are having a drink with one of your colleagues at a bar and you have a disagreement with your colleague on some topic, and your colleague gets offended. There is a chance that he might stay offended for some time and this can potentially impact your office relationship with that colleague.

Therefore, in conclusion I would say that there is a lot of significance of socialising with work colleagues during evening and weekends but it is important that you keep a balance so that any disagreement outside of the office do not impact your relationship with that colleague inside of the office.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both views and state a consistent preference for socialising with colleagues, while also recognising the need for balance. The benefits are relevant: you explain that colleagues can support one another with difficult tasks and deadlines. You also illustrate the concern about mixing work and social life through the example of a disagreement at a bar. However, the two sides are not developed equally: the case for socialising receives more explanation, while the opposing view rests mainly on one hypothetical incident. The claim that colleagues contribute most to a person’s success is also broad and would benefit from qualification or a specific example. Develop the drawbacks more fully and explain how boundaries can reduce the risks you identify.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, a paragraph supporting socialising, a paragraph presenting the opposing view, and a conclusion. This makes the overall direction understandable. However, progression within and between paragraphs is not always clear, and linking expressions sometimes feel mechanical. For example, “Hence” introduces a further point that largely repeats the need to build relationships, while “Alternatively” signals contrast without clearly connecting the example to the broader argument. The conclusion also repeats the main position rather than drawing the two views together. Use clearer topic sentences, reduce repeated points, and make each example explicitly support the paragraph’s central claim. More precise referencing would also help readers follow who “they” and “your colleague” refer to.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary to discuss workplace relationships, including “teamwork,” “tight deadlines,” “potentially impact,” and “disagreement.” These choices communicate the main ideas clearly, and some phrases suit the topic well. However, several expressions are repetitive or imprecise, such as repeated use of “good bond” and “work colleagues.” There are also word-choice and spelling issues: “create a fuss” is informal and vague in this context, and “seperate” is misspelled. “Working colleagues” is less natural than “colleagues” or “co-workers.” Aim for more precise collocations and vary repeated terms, while checking spelling and choosing a suitably formal register throughout.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex structures, including conditional and subordinate clauses, and the meaning is generally clear. Some sentences are controlled, such as the opening statement of your opinion. However, errors in agreement, verb forms, and sentence construction remain. In “Your colleagues are the one who contribute,” the plural subject requires “ones” or a rephrased construction. “If you will spend time with them” should use “if you spend time with them,” and “any disagreement … do not impact” needs subject–verb agreement (“does not impact”). The long sentence beginning “Hence, to get the most…” is also difficult to manage and would be clearer if divided. Review agreement and conditional patterns, and use punctuation to control longer sentences.

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