Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-24

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)

In modern society, people are become more opportunist and take every single break as an opportunity to do great about their lives. It is often argued that some individuals choose their work life on the highest priority and being less focus toward other things. However, other people are significantly keen towards their mental health and choose part time hobbies and spend leisure time apart from their regular work routine. In my opinion, if they would adopt the balanced approach it will be beneficial for their personal and professional life. In this essay, I will discuss both views and present my opinion.

To begin with, some people given the utmost priority to their work because they bound by family responsibilities. several individual's work not only to pursue their dream job but also to manage their children and family expenses. For example, a low salaried employee spend more time on work to achieve targets and meet deadlines, in the hope of decent salary increase or promotion. Therefore, the above-mentioned are the reason they given importance to work rather than show interest in other things.

On the other hand, some people are more excited about their hobbies as they more exposed to

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, as it is only 199 words long and remains unfinished. Consequently, the development of ideas is severely limited. While you attempt to address both views and state an opinion in the introduction, the second body paragraph is incomplete, leaving the argument underdeveloped. To improve, you must ensure you provide a full, balanced discussion for both perspectives and support them with sufficient detail. The current length prevents a full exploration of the topic, which significantly impacts your ability to achieve a higher band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay uses some basic cohesive devices such as 'To begin with' and 'On the other hand' to signal the structure. However, because the text is incomplete, the overall progression is interrupted. Paragraphing is attempted, but the final paragraph is cut off, which disrupts the logical flow of the argument. To improve, ensure that each paragraph contains a clear topic sentence followed by supporting evidence and a concluding thought. Using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that referencing (e.g., 'the above-mentioned') is used accurately will help improve the cohesion of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The range of vocabulary is adequate for basic communication but lacks the precision and variety required for higher bands. There are several instances of awkward phrasing or incorrect word choices, such as 'people are become more opportunist' and 'being less focus toward'. These errors occasionally hinder the clarity of your message. To improve, focus on learning collocations—words that naturally go together—and try to incorporate more academic vocabulary. For example, instead of 'do great about their lives', use 'enhance their quality of life'. Expanding your vocabulary will allow you to express complex ideas more effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains frequent grammatical errors that affect the fluency of the text. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('people are become', 'individual's work') and incorrect verb forms ('they given importance'). While you attempt some complex sentence structures, they are often marred by these errors. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, particularly subject-verb agreement and the correct use of auxiliary verbs. Proofreading your work for these common slips will help you produce more error-free sentences, which is essential for moving into the higher band scores.

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

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