Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-17
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)
It is widely believed that many individuals prefer their work as most essential thing in life and they have no interest in anything else, whereas others believe that people are more enthusiastic regarding their hobbies and leisure interests other than there profession. While both perspectives have some merit, I believe that maintaining a balance between professional responsibilities and personal interests is the most beneficial approach.
To begin with, many people shown more gratitude towards their occupation rather than focusing on any other activity or profession. They think that, it is providing them an enough livelihood to spend their lives with happiness. Moreover, families have more influence on this decision. For instance, there are significant number of youngsters who are uneducated and facing unemployment challenges as they have no choice rather than being selective. As a result, they set a goal of stay with their jobs and stop thinking about anything else which made them mentally depressed.
On the other hand, people who have more interest in their hobbies and leisure are more enthusiastic in terms of many other aspects. They are proactive and know their worth as they do not stick to one thing, which make them lazy and dull. Likewise, nowadays many youngsters have different kind of hobbies like learning, gaming, travelling etc. which help them to enable their best mode and keep them recharged. Having said that, if you being flexible than it will be beneficial for you in personal and professional life.
To conclude this essay, individuals should think about other genres rather than being to stick with one thing as it is very essential for your overall well-being. However, those who know their worth bring more values to their life.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion in the introduction. However, the development of ideas is somewhat inconsistent. For instance, the paragraph regarding those who prioritize work mentions 'uneducated' youngsters and 'unemployment', which feels slightly tangential to the prompt about people who simply regard work as the most important thing. The arguments are generally relevant, but the explanation of why people hold these views could be more deeply explored. The conclusion is brief and slightly repetitive. To improve, ensure that each supporting point directly reinforces the specific attitude being discussed.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Moreover', 'On the other hand', and 'To conclude' are used to link ideas. However, some transitions feel mechanical, and there are instances where the flow is slightly disrupted by awkward phrasing, such as 'if you being flexible than it will be beneficial'. Referencing is generally clear, but the connection between sentences within paragraphs could be smoother to achieve a more natural, cohesive flow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and sophistication. There are several instances of awkward word choices or incorrect collocations, such as 'providing them an enough livelihood' (should be 'a sufficient livelihood') and 'enable their best mode' (which is non-standard). The student attempts to use some topic-specific vocabulary, but the overall lexical control is limited. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise academic collocations and avoiding repetitive or vague phrasing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'many people shown more gratitude' (should be 'show'), 'no choice rather than being selective' (should be 'no choice but to be'), and 'if you being flexible than it will be' (should be 'if you are flexible, it will be'). Punctuation is generally functional, but the frequency of errors in verb tense, subject-verb agreement, and word order prevents the essay from reaching a higher band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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