Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-08

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 7.5)

It is considered imperative for people of all demographics to possess at least one hobby. I strongly support this statement and believe that hobbies are crucial activities in one's life, as they not only support cognitive and social development in younger people, but also support mental well-being in older people.

The primary reason for encouraging children and young adults to pursue extracurricular activities is the fact that they support cognitive and social development. When youngsters engage in hobbies that involve other people, they develop social and interpersonal skills, which contribute to their emotional growth and personality development. For instance, if children have hobby of playing the piano, participating in group music sessions helps in their personal and social development. Hence, hobbies encourage overall development in growing children and young individuals.

Another significant factor is that hobbies act as a stress-buster for working and retired people. By practicing at least one recreational activity, both adults and the elderly can alleviate the tedium of their daily lives and recharge themselves. For example, when employees working all weekdays spend some time on weekends on their favourite hobby, it allows them to unwind and relax while doing one thing they are fond of, which gives them happiness. Furthermore, the retired aging population can keep themselves busy while pursuing their hobbies, which prevents them from feeling isolated and depressed. Thus, pursuing hobbies is vital for working and older individuals' mental well-being.

In conclusion, I believe having some hobbies is beneficial in life as they assist in the overall development of children and young adults, while allowing middle-aged and elderly people to unwind from the daily boredom and maintain their sanity.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response fully addresses all parts of the prompt. You have clearly stated your position in the introduction and maintained it throughout the essay. The ideas are well-developed, with distinct paragraphs focusing on different age groups (children/young adults and working/retired people). You provide relevant examples, such as playing the piano for social development and weekend hobbies for stress relief, which effectively support your arguments. The response is balanced and covers the scope of the prompt comprehensively. To reach a higher band, you could further extend the depth of your analysis by exploring the potential challenges of finding time for hobbies, which would demonstrate a more nuanced perspective.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the transition between paragraphs is smooth. You use a variety of cohesive devices effectively, such as 'The primary reason,' 'Another significant factor,' and 'In conclusion,' which guide the reader through your argument. The referencing is clear, and the paragraphing is appropriate. The flow of information is natural, and the relationship between ideas is easy to follow. To improve further, ensure that the use of cohesive devices remains varied and avoids becoming overly formulaic, though your current usage is already quite strong and contributes to a coherent whole.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary that is appropriate for the task. Phrases like 'imperative for people of all demographics,' 'alleviate the tedium,' and 'emotional growth' show a good level of lexical control. There is some repetition of the word 'hobbies' and 'development,' which could be mitigated by using synonyms or rephrasing. While the vocabulary is sufficient and precise, it lacks the 'less common' or 'idiomatic' flair that would push the score into the 8.0 or 9.0 range. However, the word choice is accurate and never impedes communication, making it a solid performance for this criterion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The essay displays a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. You use subordinate clauses effectively, such as 'When youngsters engage in hobbies that involve other people...' and '...which prevents them from feeling isolated.' The grammar is generally accurate, with very few errors. Punctuation is used correctly to separate ideas. While the structures are sound, the range of complex grammatical forms could be slightly more ambitious to reach the highest bands. The majority of your sentences are error-free, and the occasional minor slips do not interfere with the clarity of your message, reflecting a strong command of English syntax.

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

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