Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-03

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

It is important for children, young adults, working people and the retired to have at least one hobby.

What's your opinion about this?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 8.0)

Over the years, the trend of having an engaging hobby has been highly supported, with many claiming that apart from pursuing an educational degree, spare-time activities are vital for reducing stress levels and can even become an alternative source of income. In my experience, I believe that it is essential for people of all age groups to have some sort of activity in their lifetime.

First and foremost, extracurricular activities offer significant benefits from early childhood. For instance, doctors often advise parents to enroll newborns in swimming classes at an early age. This sport engages not only the hands, but also the core and legs, which helps infants develop their muscles during their formative years. [Added balance for working adults here:] Similarly, working-age adults face immense pressure in their professional lives, and many companies now organize recreational activities to help employees lower their stress levels and prevent burnout. Furthermore, as mentioned earlier, a dedicated hobby can sometimes be monetized, serving as a secondary stream of income.

On the other hand, taking into consideration people who are retired or in their older years, having a hobby is equally crucial. It is often seen in daily life that once people retire, they experience profound boredom from sitting at home compared to other age groups, which can lead to serious health problems. Therefore, having a hobby can be deeply beneficial. For instance, indoor games such as chess or puzzles help stimulate cognitive processing, which eventually improves overall well-being and mental health in later life.

All in all, education is a necessity to secure a better future, but allocating spare time to cultivate a new hobby can be remarkably useful for physical and mental health across all stages of life.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

You have addressed all parts of the prompt, covering the importance of hobbies for different age groups including children, working adults, and the retired. Your position is clear from the introduction and is maintained throughout the essay. The ideas are well-developed, particularly the distinction between physical development in children, stress management for workers, and cognitive benefits for the elderly. To reach a higher band, ensure that the connection between the hobby and the 'alternative source of income' is more thoroughly explored, as this point is mentioned but not fully supported with an example. Overall, the response is well-structured and directly answers the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The essay demonstrates a clear logical progression. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the transition between age groups is smooth. You use a variety of cohesive devices effectively, such as 'First and foremost,' 'Similarly,' 'Furthermore,' and 'On the other hand.' Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different stages of life. The referencing is clear, and the flow of ideas is easy to follow. To improve further, ensure that the transition between the general benefits of hobbies and the specific mention of income generation is more seamless, as it currently feels slightly abrupt within the second paragraph.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary that is appropriate for the task. Phrases like 'formative years,' 'profound boredom,' 'cognitive processing,' and 'monetized' show a level of sophistication. There is a good awareness of collocation, and the language used is precise. While the vocabulary is sufficient and accurate, incorporating a few more idiomatic expressions or less common lexical items related to the topic of leisure and lifestyle could elevate the score further. There are no spelling errors, and the word choice consistently conveys your meaning clearly and effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

Your control of grammar is strong. You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the conditional-like structure 'once people retire, they experience...' and the use of participial phrases like 'taking into consideration people who are retired.' The majority of your sentences are error-free, and your punctuation is accurate. There are no significant grammatical slips that impede communication. To aim for a higher band, you could experiment with more varied complex sentence structures, such as inversion or more advanced relative clauses, to demonstrate even greater flexibility in your writing.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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