Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-10
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 6.0)
Few individuals say that it is completely fine to make a friendly relationships with your co-workers, while others say it is crucial to not to involve your colleagues in your personal life. I personally believe that it is depend on the workplace environment and culture as well as one's personal choice.
To commence with, if workplace environment is toxic and has a workplace politics then people should definitely avoid sharing their personal lives with them as there is a chance that people may backstab their colleagues to get promoted and achieve success in their company. Moreover, it is crucial to maintain boundaries with your co-workers to maintain healthy work-life balance as well as to avoid personal conflicts and unnecessary negotiations between colleagues. In addition, people spend majority of their time with their co-workers at their workplace therefore it is necessary for them to give their free time to their families as it would help people balance their proffessional responsibilities with their personal lives.
On the other hand, if one would have a good and reliable relationship with their colleague then a person can share their liesurely time with them unless it is not against company's policies and procedures. Furthermore, friendly workplace atmosphere boost moral and productivity of the employees.
In conclusion, according to my view-point building friendly relationships at the workplace is not appropriate as it can cause conflicts of interest at workplace and harms one growth and career development therefore it should be proffessional and respectful unless one truly trust the person.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
You address both views and give a personal position: you explain why people may keep distance in a toxic workplace, then acknowledge that trusted colleagues can socialise and that a friendly atmosphere may improve morale and productivity. Your view that the choice depends on workplace culture and personal preference is relevant, but the conclusion shifts towards saying workplace friendships are generally inappropriate, so the position is not fully consistent. Some points also need fuller explanation: for example, the claim that socialising can cause “conflicts of interest” is not clearly connected to the earlier discussion, and the benefits of a friendly atmosphere are asserted rather than illustrated. Develop each side with a specific example and make your final opinion align clearly with your opening position.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5
The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, a paragraph for each view, and a conclusion. Linking phrases such as “To commence with,” “Moreover,” and “On the other hand” help signal the direction of the discussion, and the main ideas are generally easy to follow. This already gives the essay a coherent progression, but some connections feel mechanical or unclear. For instance, “In addition” introduces the point about family time without showing how it follows from maintaining workplace boundaries, while “therefore” in the conclusion links the claim about conflict to the recommendation somewhat abruptly. The conclusion also does not fully reconcile your conditional opening position with its stronger rejection of workplace friendships. Use clearer cause-and-effect links and ensure each paragraph develops one connected line of reasoning.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use a relevant range of workplace vocabulary, including “workplace politics,” “boundaries,” “work-life balance,” “productivity,” and “career development.” These choices communicate the topic and show attempts to use more specific language than basic everyday terms. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “make a friendly relationships,” “share their liesurely time,” and “boost moral.” There are also spelling errors in “proffessional” and “liesurely,” and “backstab” is rather informal for this essay. These issues make expression less natural, even though the main meaning remains understandable. Aim for accurate collocations and a consistently appropriate register, checking spelling and word forms carefully.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including conditional structures such as “if workplace environment is toxic” and clauses beginning with “as” and “therefore.” This gives the response some structural variety, and the overall meaning is usually clear. Some grammatical errors remain, however. For example, “it is depend” should be “it depends,” and “it is crucial to not to involve” has an incorrect infinitive construction. In “if one would have a good … relationship,” the conditional form is not appropriate; use “if someone has.” Articles and agreement also need attention in “if workplace environment” and “friendly workplace atmosphere boost.” Review conditional patterns, subject–verb agreement, and article use, then proofread sentences for these recurring issues.
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