Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-31

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 6.5)

Some people think that work as the most important thing in life and have little interest in anything else. Others think that the hobbies and leisure interest are more important than the job. While opinions remain divided, I firmly contend that a balance between work and personal interest is essential for fulfilling life. It is true that people have different priorities in life. On the one hand, many people considered work to be the central focus of their lives. The foremost justification lies in the fact is that a job provides income to pay for housing, education, food and it also give people respect in the society. For example, doctors, lawyers often work lot of hours because their job is directly impacts their live hood and reputation. Moreover, in competitive economics, people who prioritize work may get faster promotions and salary. From this, neglecting work to hobbies could lead to missed opportunities and instability. On the other hand, others believe that hobbies bring more value than the work. Beyond this it is important to recognize, that life is not only about earning money but also about happiness and mental well-being. This is best illustrated that those who paints, play cricket or travels on weekend often feels relaxed and creative which can even improve their performance at work. In addition, focusing only on work can lead to burnout and health problems. Therefore, these people prefer to keep their jobs as a means to support their passion rather than the main goal of life. In my opinion, both work and leisure play vital roles. A further point worth considering is that work is necessary to meet basic needs, but hobbies give life meaningful and prevent stress. Moreover, the ideal approach is to work hard during work hours but also make time for interests outside of work. This balance leads to both success and happiness. In conclusion, while some focus only works and others only hobbies, I believe that balance leads to success and the satisfaction.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have addressed all parts of the prompt by discussing both attitudes and providing a clear personal opinion. Your position is consistent throughout the essay. The ideas are relevant, such as the mention of financial stability for work-focused individuals and mental well-being for those prioritizing hobbies. However, some arguments could be further extended; for instance, the link between hobbies and work performance is mentioned but could be supported with a more specific example to reach a higher band. Overall, the response is well-structured and directly answers the prompt requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'Moreover', and 'In addition' to guide the reader through your arguments. While the progression is generally smooth, some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different viewpoints. To improve, ensure that referencing is always precise; for example, in the sentence 'This is best illustrated that those who paints...', the reference to the previous idea is slightly awkward, which slightly affects the flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with some precision. You use terms like 'competitive economics', 'burnout', and 'reputation' effectively. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'directly impacts their live hood' (livelihood) and 'neglecting work to hobbies' (neglecting work for hobbies). Additionally, there are minor grammatical errors in word forms, such as 'those who paints' instead of 'those who paint'. Expanding your range of less common collocations would help elevate your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt complex sentences, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'the fact is that a job provides' (the fact is that a job provides), 'it also give people' (it also gives), and 'those who paints... feels' (those who paint... feel). These errors are persistent but do not impede overall communication. To reach a higher band, focus on subject-verb agreement and article usage, and aim for more error-free complex sentences.

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

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