Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-11-02

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 6.0)

There is an ongoing debate regarding work, hobbies and leisure. While some people argue that work is life's most important thing, others believe that hobbies should be prioritized. I think it is important to balance both activities.

On the one hand, caring about a job is a way to build a solid career. This could give people's access to better-paid jobs and benefits. This is because companies are looking for employees who are committed to their work. For instance, if an employee spends extra hours in order to achieve a task they will have a better consideration by their boss. Consequently, job dedication may contribute to getting better job opportunities. And because of this, higher salaries and benefits.

On the other hand, hobbies and leisure are important to enjoy ourselves. These activities help us enjoy life and build memories. It is an opportunity to spend quality time with family and friends. In addition, It is being said that family and friends are the most important thing in life. For example, gardening is being use as a therapy for people who are suffering from depression. So, hobbies could have a therapeutic effect too. Even though, work is important to sustain our lives, people should prioritized their well-being and enjoy life.

In conclusion, while focusing on our jobs is key to improve work's conditions and to have better salaries, I believe that hobbies and leisure are crucial because they help us grow in a personal sense. At the end of the day, the most important thing in life is to be happy.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both attitudes and give a clear opinion that work and leisure should be balanced. The work paragraph explains how commitment may lead to better opportunities, while the leisure paragraph gives reasons related to relationships and well-being, including gardening as therapy. These are relevant points, but some are not fully developed: the link between extra hours and a “better consideration” from a boss is asserted rather than explained, and the claim that family and friends are the most important thing is broad and not supported. To strengthen the response, explain the consequences of each attitude in more detail and connect your examples directly to your position on balance.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two attitudes, and a conclusion that restates your view. Signposting such as “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” helps readers follow the discussion. However, some links feel mechanical or incomplete. “And because of this, higher salaries and benefits” is a sentence fragment, and “Even though” introduces a contrast without being smoothly connected to the rest of the sentence. The ideas within paragraphs could also progress more clearly—for example, explain how leisure supports well-being before moving to the gardening example. Use linking phrases selectively and make each sentence’s relationship to the next explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to discuss employment and leisure, including “committed,” “job opportunities,” “quality time,” and “therapeutic effect.” This gives the response a relevant range, but several choices are imprecise or unnatural, which limits clarity and flexibility. “A better consideration by their boss” does not express the intended idea naturally, while “build memories” and “improve work’s conditions” are awkward collocations. There is also repetition of general words such as “important” and “enjoy.” Aim for more precise phrases and check how words combine in context; this will make your arguments sound more natural without requiring unnecessarily complex vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex forms, including conditional phrasing (“if an employee spends extra hours…”) and a concessive clause (“Even though work is important…”). Most ideas remain understandable, but some grammatical errors and sentence-boundary problems are noticeable. “This could give people’s access” has an incorrect possessive construction, and “gardening is being use” has an incorrect passive verb form. “And because of this, higher salaries and benefits” is incomplete, while “people should prioritized” uses the wrong verb form after “should.” Review verb patterns after modal verbs, passive constructions, and complete sentence formation. More accurate control of these structures would make the response smoother and clearer.

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