Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-03
IELTS Writing Task 2 question
Some people regard work as the most important thing in life and have little interest in anything else. Other people are more enthusiastic about their hobbies and leisure interests than their jobs.
Discuss both these attitudes and give your own opinion.
You should use your own ideas, knowledge and experience and support your arguments with examples and relevant evidence.
Student answer (Band 5.5)
Several individuals consider work as the most crucial thing in their life and they show slight interest in other things in life. On the other hand, certain persons are more enthusiastic energetic about their hobbies as they love to spend their time to have fun and to explore different things in life and they have less interest in their work life. In this essay, we are going to discuss both attitudes of individuals for work life balance.
Firstly, many people believe that by working hard they can achieve a good position in their organization their main concern is to earn money and have good financial stability. They show less interest in other activities. However, many organizations does not pay back to people for working hard as they deserve due to favoritism.
On the other hand, People who love to invest their time in their favorite hobbies and other activities to enjoy their life and show less interest in their work life is tended not to become successful in life. Owing to, earning is essential part of life. You cannot survive without good financial position. Besides, many firms fired out the individuals who do not want to work.
In my opinion, People should have a work-life balance in their life. They should invest equal time in both for work and for hobbies. Because without financial independency we cannot fulfill our basic needs and without having a leisure time and have other activities we tend to become so reluctant to enjoy.
To conclude, Work-life balance should be consider as important as any other thing in life. It is essential for have a great work experience and have a stable home life.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The essay addresses both views and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For example, the argument regarding why people prioritize work is brief, and the discussion on hobbies is slightly repetitive. The point about 'favoritism' is a relevant observation but could be better linked to the broader theme of work-life balance. To reach a higher band, you should expand on your reasoning with more specific examples or deeper analysis of the implications of these attitudes. The conclusion is present, but the overall development of the arguments remains somewhat superficial throughout the body paragraphs.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'On the other hand', and 'To conclude' to link your thoughts. However, some transitions are slightly awkward, such as 'Owing to, earning is essential part of life', which is grammatically incorrect and disrupts the flow. Additionally, the referencing is sometimes unclear, and the internal structure of the paragraphs could be improved by using a wider variety of cohesive markers to connect sentences more fluidly rather than relying on simple, repetitive structures.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. You rely on common phrases like 'good position', 'good financial stability', and 'have fun'. There are also some collocation errors, such as 'fired out the individuals' (should be 'fired individuals' or 'let employees go') and 'financial independency' (should be 'financial independence'). While your meaning is clear, the lack of more sophisticated or academic vocabulary limits your score. Focusing on learning collocations and more precise academic terminology would significantly improve your lexical range.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('many organizations does not pay') and awkward phrasing ('is tended not to become successful'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are run-on sentences and missing articles throughout the text. While you attempt complex structures, they are often faulty, which prevents you from achieving a higher band. Focusing on basic grammatical accuracy, particularly subject-verb agreement and article usage, will help you communicate your ideas more effectively.
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