Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-23
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)
Today hobbies are become a common thing. Some people think that work is essential in life while other argue that hobbies are important than their jobs. In my point of view, I think jobs are important in life but hobbies also play a vital role.
On the one hand, jobs are important because money is most important for everything and we can not fulfill our necessities without it. For example, if we don't go for earning we can't be to fulfill our home necessaries such as kitchen items, medicines. Moreover, without job people will financially depend on others.
On the other hand, hobbies also important but in leisure time. Without hobbies people are empty and they don't know how to spend their time. If someone ha some hobbies they can enjoy their leisure time. For example, if someone have a hobby to reading book then they can easily spend their time in it as it provides information as well as they feel relax and comfortable after reading while if someone have no any hobby then they have nothing to do in their free time for relax after busy day.
In conclusion, I think that both are oalys a vital role in our life. Job is necessary for financial services and hobby is good for relaxing mind.
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 addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the essay is significantly under the 250-word minimum requirement, which limits the depth of the discussion. The ideas are somewhat repetitive and lack the necessary development to reach a higher band. For instance, the explanation of why jobs are important is limited to basic financial needs, and the discussion on hobbies lacks specific examples or broader societal context. To improve, you must expand your arguments with more detailed explanations and examples to meet the length requirement and demonstrate a more thorough exploration of the topic.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use basic cohesive devices like 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand' to signal transitions. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat mechanical, and the links between sentences are occasionally repetitive. For example, the frequent use of 'if someone' makes the flow feel a bit simplistic. To improve, try to use a wider variety of linking words and ensure that your sentences flow more naturally into one another rather than relying on a rigid, repetitive structure.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'common thing', 'important', and 'good for' are used frequently, which limits the precision of your writing. There are also some minor errors in word choice, such as 'oalys' (likely a typo for 'plays') and 'home necessaries' (which should be 'household necessities'). To reach a higher band, you should aim to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary and collocations related to the topic of work-life balance, such as 'financial stability', 'personal fulfillment', or 'recreational pursuits'.
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 'hobbies are important than their jobs' (should be 'more important than'), 'if someone ha some hobbies' (should be 'has'), and 'if someone have no any hobby' (should be 'has no hobby'). These errors in subject-verb agreement and article usage are noticeable. While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of consistent accuracy in complex structures prevents a higher score. Focus on proofreading for basic agreement errors and diversifying your sentence patterns.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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