Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-11

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, 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.

It is true that a coin always has two sides. There is no approach that can be perfect. There are always advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, there is no right or wrong; it all depends on what suits best to your situation. For some people, it's not a good idea at all to socialise with work colleagues during evenings and they prefer to keep working life completely separate from social life. I believe that this approach is suitable for people who prefer to maintain a respectful relation with their work colleagues. Sometimes, people behave completely different when they are outside of their office, therefore there are chances that you might not like that version of your colleague.

Additionally, it's a fact that when you start spending more time with someone, you are likely to have more disagreements, therefore in case of a serious disagreement your relationship with that colleague can be impacted in the office too.

On the other hand, I strongly believe that your colleagues are the one with whom you spend most of your time and they are the ones who support you and back you at work. Therefore, it is very important to have a good relationship with them. In fact, in todays' time, success cannot be achieved without teamwork. In my view socialising with your work colleagues during evenings and weekends is the best way to strengthen your relationship with them.

It is important for you to understand the needs of your work colleagues, their nature, and most importantly, their expectations from you. This can only be possible if you spend time with them outside of the office.

In conclusion, I would say that there are advantages and disadvantages of socialising with your work colleagues during evenings and weekends, but in my view the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Moreover, it is essential to keep your relationship respectful, and avoid discussions on controversial topics to reduce the chances of a serious conflict.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You discuss both positions and make your own preference clear: you acknowledge the risks of mixing work and social life, then argue that socialising can strengthen workplace relationships. The examples about disagreements carrying into the office and teamwork supporting success are relevant. However, the two sides are not developed equally. The case for separation is explained through possible conflict, while the benefits of socialising rely mainly on broad claims such as colleagues being supportive and teamwork being essential. The point that time together helps you understand colleagues’ expectations could be explained with a specific example. To develop the response further, show how these benefits affect collaboration or work outcomes, and qualify general statements with concrete support. The 54 words copied from the task prompt were not counted.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, discussion of separation, a contrasting paragraph supporting socialising, and a conclusion that restates your view. Paragraphing helps distinguish the two positions. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes weakened by repetitive or mechanical linking. For example, “Therefore” appears several times, and “It is true that a coin always has two sides” and “There is no approach that can be perfect” repeat the same general point before the discussion begins. Some references are also broad, such as “this approach,” which could identify the preference for keeping work and social life separate more precisely. Use fewer formulaic transitions and make each paragraph develop one main claim through explanation and an example.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough vocabulary to discuss workplace relationships and express both sides, including “maintain,” “disagreements,” “teamwork,” and “strengthen your relationship.” Meaning remains clear, but the range is somewhat repetitive, particularly around “work colleagues,” “relationship,” and “socialise.” Some phrases are imprecise or unnatural: “a respectful relation” is less idiomatic than “a professional relationship,” and “the one with whom you spend most of your time” is awkwardly phrased. “In todays’ time” is also an inaccurate expression. Aim for more precise collocations and vary repeated terms, while keeping the language natural rather than overly formal. This would make the argument more fluent and exact.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex forms, including conditional clauses (“if you spend time with them”) and subordinate clauses explaining possible consequences. Most sentences communicate the intended meaning, but some grammatical errors and punctuation issues remain. For example, “your colleagues are the one” has a subject–verb agreement error; “people behave completely different” needs an adverb; and “in todays’ time” has incorrect apostrophe use. Commas are also missing after introductory phrases, as in “In my view socialising…” and “Additionally, it’s a fact that…”. Review agreement, adverb forms, possessives, and comma placement. More consistently accurate complex sentences would strengthen control without sacrificing the variety already attempted.

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