Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
Nowadays, many individuals like to explore new hobbies such as travelling, reading, and painting. Many people like to do more work rather than learn new hobbies. I completely agree that exploring new hobbies and skills helps a person to develop in every area of life.
Many people learn new hobbies and skills to build their profile and portfolio, such as AI and machine learning, and because of that, they can get a better package and salary. For example, if a person is a computer science student and has strong knowledge of AI, they can also demand a higher salary. Exploring new hobbies such as travelling helps individuals to feel relaxed and stress-free. For example, many people upload their travel vlog on YouTube and Instagram; by this, they can explore new cities and earn money at the same time.
On the other hand, many people believe that work plays a major role in our lives and that doing a job and working is more important than exploring hobbies. This mentality helps them to be focused on their work and helps them to get big opportunities and good growth in their career. For example, a person who gives their best in group work has opportunities to lead a team in future. Furthermore, giving your 100% in one work helps a person to stay focused and stress-free.
In conclusion, I completely agree with the second view that exploring new hobbies helps people to develop, and by this they can achieve success in their lives, and because of that they can stay stress-free and relaxed. Also, many individuals believe work is more important, but I completely agree that learning and exploring new hobbies is more beneficial.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| 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. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the link between 'AI and machine learning' and 'hobbies' is slightly tenuous, as these are often professional skills rather than leisure interests. The conclusion contains a contradiction: you state you agree with the second view (that work is more important) in the first sentence, but then conclude that 'learning and exploring new hobbies is more beneficial.' This inconsistency makes your position unclear. To improve, ensure your arguments are logically consistent and more deeply explored with specific, relevant examples.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use basic cohesive devices like 'On the other hand' and 'Furthermore' to transition between ideas. However, the progression of ideas is occasionally repetitive, particularly in the conclusion where the same points are restated without adding new insight. The use of referencing is sometimes mechanical, and the logical flow between the introduction and the body paragraphs could be smoother. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of cohesive devices and ensuring that each paragraph builds logically upon the previous one without unnecessary repetition.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your meaning clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'portfolio', 'vlog', and 'career growth'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a reliance on simple, repetitive phrasing such as 'many people' and 'good growth'. There are also minor issues with collocation, such as 'demand a higher salary' (which is acceptable but could be more natural) and 'do more work' (which is quite basic). To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated synonyms and idiomatic expressions to demonstrate a broader range of vocabulary.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical slips, such as 'upload their travel vlog' (should be plural 'vlogs') and 'in one work' (should be 'in one's work' or 'in a single job'). Additionally, some sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'by this, they can explore new cities'. There is a reasonable level of control, but the range of complex structures is limited, and errors in articles and pluralization persist. Increasing the variety of sentence types and proofreading for minor grammatical errors would help improve your score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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