Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-19

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)

In this contemporary era, some people firmly believe that socialising with office colleagues during evenings and weekend make them happier. Others believe that social life should be kept completely separate from professional life. In my opinion, occasional social gatherings with colleagues are beneficial. In this essay, I will discuss both views and share my opinion on this.

To commence with, spending time with colleagues help to buid stronger relationships and improve communication or connectivity. Spending time together outside work helps to understand each other. For example, going outside for dinner or playing badminton together can help employees become friends. As a result, a strong relationship get build between them. Moreover, employees who know each other personally may feel more comfortable sharing ideas and asking for help. This helps them to improve teamwork, productivity and reduce misunderstandings. Hence, the above-mentioned are the playing important role.

On the other hand, some people believe that professional and personal lives should remain separate to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Employees need sufficient time to spend with their families, pursue hobbies, and relax after a busy working week. To elaborate on this, individuals who regularly attend social gatherings with colleagues on weekends may struggle to fulfil their family responsibilities. Furthermore, discussing workplace issues during personal gatherings can create unnecessary stress and conflicts. Therefore, maintaining clear boundaries between work and social life can help people enjoy their free time and protect their personal relationships.

In conclusion, although maintaining a separation between professional and personal life is important, I believe that socialising with colleagues occasionally can strengthen relationships, improve communication, and promote effective teamwork, provided that employees maintain a healthy work-life balance.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response addresses both views and gives a clear, consistent opinion: occasional socialising is beneficial, provided work-life boundaries are maintained. The first main paragraph explains how informal activities can build relationships and make it easier to share ideas, while the second gives relevant reasons for separation, including family responsibilities and stress from workplace discussions. These points are supported with examples, such as dinner or badminton, so the discussion is relevant and developed. Some claims remain broad, however, and the first view would benefit from a more specific explanation or example showing how stronger relationships improve work outcomes. The sentence “Hence, the above-mentioned are the playing important role” also leaves that paragraph’s point unclear. More precise development would make the argument more convincing.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay has a clear overall structure: an introduction, one paragraph for each view, and a conclusion that restates the writer’s position. Ideas generally progress logically within the paragraphs, and linking expressions such as “Moreover,” “On the other hand,” and “Furthermore” help signal relationships between points. The conclusion also connects the two perspectives rather than introducing a new argument. At times, however, transitions feel formulaic, and the phrase “Hence, the above-mentioned are the playing important role” does not clearly refer back to the preceding ideas, interrupting the flow. Aim to use linking language more selectively and make references explicit—for example, state directly that these benefits can strengthen teamwork. This would make cohesion more natural and consistent.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for discussing workplace relationships and personal boundaries, with relevant phrases such as “work-life balance,” “family responsibilities,” “maintaining clear boundaries,” and “effective teamwork.” The writer also uses some topic-specific language, including “productivity” and “misunderstandings.” However, several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “improve communication or connectivity,” “a strong relationship get build,” and “the above-mentioned are the playing important role.” There is also a spelling error in “buid.” These slips do not prevent the reader from understanding the main ideas, but they limit precision and naturalness. Prefer established collocations and check spelling and word forms during revision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including subordinate clauses such as “although maintaining a separation … is important” and “provided that employees maintain a healthy work-life balance.” Most sentences communicate their meaning clearly. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly with subject–verb agreement and verb forms: “spending time with colleagues help” should use a singular verb, and “a strong relationship get build” needs a correctly formed passive construction. The opening sentence also has a mismatch in “socialising … make them happier,” and “employees … may feel” is handled more accurately elsewhere. Review agreement, passive forms, and sentence construction carefully. Greater control of these patterns would make the varied structures more consistently accurate.

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