Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-04

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)

People today have different views regarding work and leisure in life. Some people think that priority should be given to work and some think leisure and free time are more important. I believe that both should be balance like work and free time both should give priority.

On one hand, many people consider work as their life they gave very much dedication to their work that they do not have time for their hobbies or family. The professions like doctors, police, and some public and civil servants there are so much dedicated to there work that they do not have free time. There are always busy in their work. Buy some of them enjoy doing that work as it give them satisfaction.

On other hand, some people believe that hobbies and leisure time gives them satisfaction. Some people like to travel, play favorite sports and spend time with friends and family this gives them more satisfaction.

But I think the hobbies and leisure are done by people who are having a good financial condition. However, hobbies increase creative skills and to develop new skills it helps them a lot. Without good leisure people can be in stress.

I believe that, both should be balanced and give time from their busy schedule. As the people are doing hard work full day and they are also stressful so they should give some time to their hobbies and family. I think there should be work life balance.

In conclusion, some people give more time to their work and some gives importance to their hobbies. I think there should be proper balanced between them and people should give importance to both as both things are important in life.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation of why work-life balance is important is quite brief and relies on general statements rather than detailed reasoning or specific examples. While the prompt asks for a discussion of both attitudes, the arguments remain at a surface level. To reach a higher band, you should expand on your points by explaining the 'why' and 'how' more thoroughly, perhaps by discussing the long-term consequences of neglecting either work or leisure.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. There is a basic attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'On one hand', 'On other hand', and 'In conclusion'. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the use of linking words is repetitive. Some transitions are missing or awkward, such as the sudden shift in the third paragraph starting with 'But I think'. Improving the variety of your cohesive devices and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would significantly enhance the readability and logical progression of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on simple, repetitive phrasing such as 'give satisfaction' and 'give importance'. There are also some minor collocation errors, such as 'there are so much dedicated to there work' (should be 'they are so dedicated to their work'). To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to the topic, such as 'professional fulfillment', 'recreational pursuits', or 'mental well-being', and ensure you are using words in their correct context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally hinder clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'both should be balance'), incorrect pronoun usage ('there work' instead of 'their work'), and missing articles. While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors in basic grammar prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. You should focus on proofreading your work to correct basic errors in tense, word form, and punctuation to ensure your writing is more accurate.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.