Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-09

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 7.0)

Some people consider work to be the most important part of their lives, while others believe that hobbies and leisure activities are more important than their jobs. Both attitudes have some advantages, but I believe that people should maintain a healthy balance between work and personal interests.

On the one hand, some people give priority to their careers because work provides financial security and a sense of achievement. A successful career can help people earn a good income, support their families and achieve their long-term goals. Moreover, people who are highly committed to their jobs may have better opportunities for promotion and professional development. For example, business owners and doctors often work long hours because their professions require a high level of responsibility. Therefore, for such people, work can become an important source of satisfaction and purpose.

On the other hand, many people believe that hobbies and leisure activities are more valuable than spending most of their time at work. Leisure activities allow individuals to relax and reduce stress after a busy working day. They can also improve physical and mental health. For instance, people who regularly play sports, read books or spend time with their friends and family can feel happier and more energetic. In addition, hobbies can help people develop new skills and discover their interests. If someone focuses only on their career, they may experience stress, tiredness and a poor work-life balance.

In my opinion, neither work nor leisure should completely dominate a person’s life. Having a successful career is important because money and professional achievements are necessary for a comfortable life. However, people also need sufficient free time to enjoy their lives and maintain relationships with their loved ones. The ideal approach is to work hard during working hours and use free time for hobbies, family and relaxation.

In conclusion, some people are passionate about their jobs because of financial and professional benefits, whereas others prefer to devote more time to their hobbies and leisure activities. I believe that a balanced lifestyle is the best choice because both work and personal interests contribute to a happy and successful life.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt effectively. You have discussed both attitudes—the focus on work and the focus on leisure—and clearly stated your own opinion in the introduction and conclusion. The ideas are well-developed, with relevant examples provided for both sides, such as the mention of doctors and business owners for the work-focused perspective, and sports or reading for the leisure-focused perspective. The position is consistent throughout the essay. To reach a higher band, you could further extend the analysis by exploring the potential societal implications of these attitudes, rather than focusing solely on individual benefits.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the transition between paragraphs is smooth, using appropriate cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In addition'. The use of referencing is clear, and the paragraphing is appropriate for the structure of an IELTS essay. The flow of information is natural, and the reader can easily follow your argument from the introduction to the final conclusion. The cohesive devices are used accurately and do not feel forced.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with precision. Phrases like 'professional development', 'long-term goals', and 'work-life balance' are used correctly and appropriately. While the vocabulary is accurate and clear, it remains somewhat functional. To achieve a higher band, you could incorporate more sophisticated or less common lexical items to demonstrate a wider range, such as 'vocational fulfillment', 'sedentary', or 'rejuvenation'. However, the current vocabulary is more than adequate for the task and conveys your meaning without any errors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The essay displays a good variety of complex structures, including conditional sentences ('If someone focuses only on their career...') and well-constructed compound-complex sentences. The grammar is highly accurate, with very few errors throughout the text. Punctuation is used correctly, and the sentence structures are varied, which helps maintain the reader's interest. The control over tense and subject-verb agreement is consistent. Because the majority of your sentences are error-free and you show good flexibility, this meets the criteria for a high band in grammatical accuracy.

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