Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-31

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)

Some people argue that work is the most important thing in life and have a little interest in any other thing because this provides them opportunity to grow and achieve their goals more effectively, while other are more passionate about their other interests and activites than jobs because they believe having a more freedom from tough work-life is essential for proper healthy and happy life. I believe both work and extra activities are an essential part of life as they provide us a more work life balance and opportunities to grow mentally and physically.

Some individuals believe that work is more essential than any other activites in life because this keeps them more focused and determined about their goals in life and avoid any kind of distractions. Because they think if someone is more focused towards work then they will definately work harder and have more ways to grow. If they get distracted by any kind of other activity then they will lose interest and motivation to achieve their objectives. While others argue that their hobbies and other interests are more essential in life because this provide them more chances to enjoy life and remain healthy. They think these activities can provide an escape from a boring and hard work life.

In my opinion both work and other interests are essential beacause work provides us more ways to enhace our productivity and creativity and prepare us to make a greater impact in our field, while other activites are essential for our overall wellbeing and proper growth.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You discuss both attitudes and state your own view: work is linked to focus and achievement, while hobbies are presented as a way to enjoy life and stay healthy. However, these points remain general, and the opinion that both are essential is only briefly explained; there is no specific example or evidence to develop it. The response therefore addresses the task only partially, with ideas that are limited and under-developed. It also contains 248 words, below the 250-word minimum; the eight words copied from the task prompt are not counted. Add a concrete example and explain how balancing work and leisure benefits people to make your position clearer and more fully supported.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall arrangement: an introduction, a paragraph presenting both attitudes, and a concluding opinion. This gives the reader a coherent route through the main points. However, the body paragraph moves from one attitude to the other without a clear separation, and some links feel mechanical, particularly the repeated use of “because” and “While others argue”. The reference in “this provide them” is also not fully clear. To improve progression, give each attitude its own focused paragraph, use a wider range of linking expressions, and make pronoun references explicit. A fuller conclusion would also help the essay feel more complete.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “focused and determined”, “distractions”, “motivation”, “wellbeing” and “productivity”. These choices communicate the main ideas, but the range is somewhat repetitive and several word-choice or collocation errors reduce naturalness. For example, “a more freedom” is not idiomatic, “proper healthy and happy life” is awkward, and “work life balance” would be clearer as a standard compound expression. There are also spelling errors such as “activites”, “definately” and “beacause”. Aim for more precise phrasing and check spelling carefully; this will make your argument easier to follow and more fluent.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including clauses with “because” and “while”, and the main message is generally understandable. Some grammatical errors remain, especially with articles, agreement and sentence construction. For instance, “have a little interest in any other thing” has an awkward article and singular form, while “other are more passionate” lacks a plural noun. In “these activities can provide an escape”, the later phrase “this provide them” also shows a subject–verb agreement problem. The opening sentence is long and difficult to control. Use shorter, clearer sentences where needed, and check that subjects and verbs agree and that articles are used appropriately.

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