Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)
Nowadays , people have different opinions about whether employees should socialise with their colleagues outside working place. while some believe that spending time togther during evenings and weekends helps build better relatioships, others argue that professional and personal lives should be remain separate.in my opinion , socialising with colleagues occassionally is beneficial, but maintaining a healthy work -life balance is important.
oon the one hand socialsing with colleagues outside the workplace can have serveral adavatages. firstly, it help employees develop stronger relationships and built trust with one another. when people spend time together in a relaxed enviornment, they can communicate more openly and understand each other better. as a result, teamwork and coopration may improve in the workplace. secondly, soical activities can reduce stress after a busy working day. for example, colleagues who go out for dinner or participate in weeked activities can share their experiences and support each other, which may create a more productive environment.
On the other hand , some people believe that work and soical life should be kept separate. one important reason is that employees need sufficient time to relax and spend time with their families. if they regulary attend soical events with colleagues , they may have less time for persona.l interests and responsibilities. futhermore. spending too much time with coworkers can sometimes create conflicts or unnecessary competition. for instance, discussing workplace problems during a weekend gathering may prevent employees from enjoying their free time and increse their stress level.
In my opinion, both perspectives have vaild poins,but i believe occasional socialising is a good idea. Employees should have opportunities to develop friendships with their coworkers; however, participation is soical activities should never be compulsory. Everyone has different personal commitments and preferences, so these differences should be respected. For example, having lunch together once in a while can strengthen professional relationships without interfering too much with family life.
in conclusion, socialising with employees can improve communication and teamwork, wheras keeping work and personal life separate allows people to relax and maintain their privacy. i believe that a balanced approach , where emplyoees socialise when they wishto , is the best solution.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0
The response addresses both views and gives a clear, consistent opinion: occasional socialising is beneficial, but it should not be compulsory and personal time should be respected. The supporting points are relevant, including stronger trust and teamwork on one side, and family commitments and stress on the other. Examples such as dinner with colleagues and lunch together help illustrate the argument. This fits the descriptor because the main ideas are extended and supported, although some claims remain general. For instance, the point that social activities create “a more productive environment” could be explained more specifically, and the risk of “unnecessary competition” is mentioned without showing how it might arise. Develop one or two points further with a concrete explanation or example.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0
The essay has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, a paragraph stating your position, and a conclusion. The progression is easy to follow, and signposts such as “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In my opinion” make the argument’s direction clear. Linking phrases including “as a result,” “for example,” and “furthermore” also help connect supporting points. To make cohesion more flexible and polished, avoid relying so heavily on formulaic transitions and ensure paragraph openings and references are consistently clear. The conclusion repeats the main contrast effectively, though it could synthesise the reasoning rather than restating the earlier points. Overall, organisation and progression are clear, with some room to make connections less mechanical.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “work-life balance,” “professional relationships,” “personal commitments,” “participation,” and “compulsory.” These choices allow you to discuss both workplace benefits and personal boundaries. However, spelling errors and inaccurate word forms are noticeable throughout, for example “relatioships,” “occassionally,” “coopration,” and “vaild poins.” There are also awkward or imprecise combinations, such as “socialise with employees” where you mean colleagues, and “productive environment” where the intended link could be expressed more precisely. The range is adequate for the task, but these errors reduce accuracy and polish. Proofread spelling carefully and check common collocations; using a smaller set of precise expressions consistently would strengthen the vocabulary.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including conditional clauses (“If they regularly attend social events…”) and concession (“however, participation… should never be compulsory”). Most ideas remain understandable, and the sentence structures support a clear discussion. Some grammatical errors persist, however. For example, “should be remain separate” combines two verb forms incorrectly, and “it help employees” has a subject–verb agreement error. There are also problems with sentence boundaries and punctuation, such as the run-on transition after “separate” in the introduction and inconsistent capitalisation after full stops. Review verb patterns, agreement, and sentence punctuation, then proofread each sentence for a complete and correctly formed clause.
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