Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-28

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 a common belief that people prefer work and show less interest in anything else, whereas others are more enthusiastic about their hobbies and free-time activities than their jobs. This essay will discuss both perspectives before explaining why I believe that there should be proper balance between personal and professional life.

To begin with, in many people's opinion, work has a significant importance than anything else. The reason behind it is that money is an essential part in everyone's life, the basic necessity. For example, a person who is financially estable can provide a better lifestyle to his family and for that, this person prioritises his work over the family.

On the other hand, some people also believe that their hobbies and leisure interests are more important than their jobs because with these free-time activities are the cherish moments which assist their mental health. For instance, one of my friend is a teacher and she works at school and do not work at home at all, even if there is something really important.

From my perspective, the essential balance is the key to main tain balance between both personal life and work. For example, I am a teacher who works at school and home as well; however, I try to go out over the weekends and spend quality time with my family and friends. Therefore, my family and my senior leadership team, both are satisfied with my performance and presense.

In conclusion, I believe that working hard is a to success and to earn money at the same time. In contrast, with different hobbies a person can maintain a mental health, which is equally important for better concentration. And both attitudes are equally important.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses both attitudes and gives a clear personal view: the introduction supports balance, and the final body paragraph explains how you combine work with family and social time. The examples about financial security and your teacher friend are relevant, but the discussion is not developed evenly. The first view is mainly explained through earning money, while the second relies on a brief example rather than showing more fully why leisure may take priority. The conclusion also introduces the idea that both attitudes are equally important without clearly reconciling this with your position that balance is best. Develop each side with a fuller explanation and make the final position consistent throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two attitudes, a paragraph giving your own perspective, and a conclusion. Signposts such as “To begin with,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the discussion. However, some connections between ideas are unclear or mechanical. For example, “For example” introduces the teacher anecdote, but the link between her work habits and the claim that hobbies support mental health needs to be made explicit. The conclusion’s “In contrast” also does not clearly connect the two points that follow. Use linking phrases to show the precise relationship between claims, and ensure each paragraph develops one central idea in a logical sequence.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of vocabulary for the topic, including “financially,” “prioritises,” “leisure interests,” “mental health,” and “quality time.” These choices help communicate the main ideas, and the meaning is generally understandable. However, several inaccurate or unnatural expressions limit precision, such as “a significant importance,” “the cherish moments,” and “a to success.” There are also spelling or word-form problems in “estable,” “presense,” and “main tain.” Aim to learn common word partnerships and check spelling and word forms carefully. More precise phrasing would also help distinguish financial motivation, job commitment, and the personal benefits of leisure rather than repeating broad terms such as “important” and “balance.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response includes both simple sentences and attempts at more complex structures, including the contrast in “whereas others…” and the concession introduced by “however.” Most ideas remain understandable, but some grammatical errors affect clarity. For example, “one of my friend is a teacher and she works at school and do not work at home” has errors in plural agreement and verb agreement; “money is an essential part in everyone's life, the basic necessity” is an incomplete or awkwardly joined sentence; and “I believe that working hard is a to success” has a faulty sentence structure. Review subject–verb agreement, articles, and how to join clauses. Building accurate complex sentences will make your reasoning clearer while preserving the range you already attempt.

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