Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-11
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)
Some people believes work is the most important thing in their life, and have very little interest over anything else. But some individuals are more enthusiastic about their hobbies and leisure interests than their job. This essay agrees that work-life balance should be maintained in everyday life.
Regarding work as the significant thing in life and has no interest in doing different activities will be regarded as the Top decision trait in cooperate life but in real life, having no time for other activities will make you exhausted. However, in Business culture, this trait is regarded as the most valuable thing any employee can have.
Despite this, many folks thinks that hobbies and leisure activities are more important than job, because it gave them peace of mind and it helps them to relax and refresh their mind after a job. I believe work is very important but if you don't give time to extra-curricular activities, you will fall behind others.
In conclusion, this essay supports that, extra curricular activities should be the part of everyday life because it will be very beneficial for their work as well.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, reaching only 187 words. This significantly impacts the development of ideas, as the arguments remain superficial and lack sufficient supporting evidence or examples. While the essay addresses both attitudes and provides a personal opinion, the brevity prevents a fully developed discussion. To improve, you must expand on your points by providing concrete examples, explaining the 'why' behind your arguments, and ensuring each paragraph has a clear topic sentence followed by detailed analysis to meet the length requirement.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into four paragraphs, which is a good structure. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat mechanical. While some cohesive devices are used, such as 'Regarding', 'Despite this', and 'In conclusion', the transitions between sentences are occasionally abrupt. The referencing is sometimes unclear, and the logical flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect ideas more fluidly. The paragraphing is appropriate, but the content within the paragraphs is too thin to demonstrate a high level of cohesive control.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on basic terms like 'important thing' and 'different activities'. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'Top decision trait in cooperate life' (likely meant 'corporate'). To improve, aim to use more sophisticated vocabulary related to the topic, such as 'professional advancement', 'work-life equilibrium', or 'recreational pursuits'. Avoid repetitive phrasing and focus on using words that accurately convey your intended meaning in a formal context.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, particularly with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'Some people believes', 'many folks thinks'). The sentence structures are relatively simple, with limited use of complex grammatical forms. While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors and the lack of structural variety hinder the flow. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and practice incorporating more complex sentence structures, such as conditional sentences or relative clauses, while ensuring they are punctuated correctly.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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