Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-16

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 often argued that, some people believe that work is the most important thing in their life while others believe in taking more interest in hobbies and other fun activities to fuel their life. However, I firmly believe that there should be a measured balance between both these takes.

On the one hand, there are people who believe their job to be the most important thing in their life. This is the reason why they struggle with having little to no physical activity on their daily schedule. Moreover, due to no physical activity the chances of falling into depression and obesity increases significantly. For example, according to a survey by The Khaleej Times over 60% of people in Pakistan do a 9 to 5 job and have no physical activity whatsoever and due to this reason the chances of getting depression goes up by a large number.

On the other hand, people who are extremely goal oriented and have keen interest in their hobbies tend to make comparatively less revenue in their life. They are more interested in the living in the present rather than working to have a good future. I firmly believe that a good combination of both these are required for a good and healthy life. For instance, going towards your goals while working daily is extremely important as this practice will keep you motivated and you will have a safe future for yourself and the family as well.

In a nutshell, there are people who live for their hobbies and on the contrary there are individuals who live to work their whole life, I believe in a good measured combination of both these things to have a peaceful, healthy and fruitful life.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both attitudes and state a clear view: “there should be a measured balance” between work and leisure. The response also gives relevant reasons, including the possible health effects of work-centred lives and the value of hobbies. However, the discussion is uneven and some claims are not sufficiently explained. The first side focuses mainly on inactivity and health rather than why people prioritise work, while the second side asserts that hobby-focused people “tend to make comparatively less revenue” without showing why this is generally true. The examples are broad and the survey reference is not connected to a developed explanation. To strengthen the response, explain the motivations behind each attitude and support each point with a specific, clearly reasoned example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, two body paragraphs presenting contrasting attitudes, and a conclusion. Signposts such as “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In a nutshell” make the organisation easy to follow. However, progression within the body paragraphs is sometimes mechanical or unclear. For example, the link between prioritising work and having little physical activity is asserted rather than explained, and the second paragraph moves from hobbies to lower income and then to your preferred balance without fully connecting these points. The conclusion repeats the central position but adds little synthesis. Use clearer cause-and-effect links and develop each paragraph around one main idea, with supporting explanation before moving to the next point.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a range of relevant vocabulary, including “physical activity,” “depression,” “obesity,” “goal oriented,” and “motivated,” which helps communicate the topic. There are also attempts at more expressive phrasing, such as “fuel their life” and “fruitful life.” However, several choices are imprecise or unnatural, including “make comparatively less revenue in their life,” “a good measured combination,” and “a large number” when referring to an increase in risk. Some wording is repetitive, particularly “good” and “life,” and “fun activities” is less precise than the task’s focus on hobbies and leisure. Aim for more accurate collocations and vary repeated terms; this will make your argument sound clearer and more appropriately academic.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including clauses introduced by “while,” “because,” and “as,” and most of your meaning remains understandable. Some grammatical errors occur, however. In “the chances … increases,” the plural subject requires “increase”; similarly, “the chances … goes up” should use “go up.” The opening comma in “It is often argued that, some people…” is misplaced, and “a good combination of both these are required” has a subject–verb agreement problem. There are also awkward sentence constructions, such as “They are more interested in the living in the present.” Review agreement, articles, and punctuation, and edit complex sentences to ensure that each clause is grammatically complete and clearly connected.

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