Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-11

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 7.0)

It is an undeniable fact that hobbies play a paramount role in shaping personalities of people. It is often debated that how important it is to have at least one hobby. From my perspective, children, adults, working professional, and retired elders should dedicate their leisure time to their hobbies; hobbies not only keep them engaged, but also benefit them in several ways. In the paragraphs below, I would like to put forth my views with a valid opinion in the conclusion.

To begin with, many adults and working groups are suffering from situations like Depression, Attention Deficiency and Hyperactivity Disorder, and Obsessive Compulsion Disorder. In recent researches by scientists, it is proven that spending some time on a hobby can help in mental development by reducing stress level and increasing the hormones like dopamine. Moreover, it keeps people busy by avoiding boredom. Apparently, retired elders have a plethora of leisure time, by spending it on their hobbies, their brains keep on functioning, which can prevent them from disease like Alzheimer, as it is very common among people once they reach in their late 60s. Furthermore, sometimes hobbies can turn out in a well-paid occupation. For instance, if children have a hobby to play a musical instrument, dance, or art, then it could help them to secure a career by specialising the skills.

However, we seldom give a thought to ponder over the other side of the story. Many people think that hobby is a waste of time. In past few decades, only white collar jobs were given the priority, which resulted people to leave their passion behind and run after the corporate jobs. Later on, it resulted them suffering by doing the work they do not admire. Although, hobbies give a refreshment and a break to people from their hectic schedule, they do not require one to spend a whole day behind it.

The seemingly inexorable debate about the hobby and its effects can keep on going. Nevertheless, showing deep reverence for all aspects and observing a finer nuance, I espouse the notion of supporting the fact that everyone should spend a little bit of time behind their hobbies for their well-being.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, covering the importance of hobbies for different age groups. The position is clear throughout, and ideas are generally well-developed. For instance, the discussion on mental health benefits for working professionals and the preventative role of hobbies against Alzheimer’s in the elderly provides good support. While the counter-argument regarding hobbies as a 'waste of time' is introduced, it is slightly under-developed and could have been more effectively integrated into the overall argument. However, the essay maintains a consistent focus on the topic and provides a clear conclusion, meeting the requirements for a Band 7.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Moreover', 'Furthermore', and 'Nevertheless' are used effectively to guide the reader. However, there are minor issues with cohesion, such as the slightly awkward transition in the third paragraph ('However, we seldom give a thought to ponder over the other side of the story'). Despite these minor mechanical uses of linking words, the overall structure is coherent and easy to follow, justifying a Band 7.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with some precision. Phrases like 'paramount role', 'plethora of leisure time', and 'seemingly inexorable debate' show an attempt to use less common lexical items. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'specialising the skills' (should be 'specializing in') and 'resulted people to leave' (should be 'resulted in people leaving'). While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the essay from reaching the higher bands where more consistent control of sophisticated vocabulary is required.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is a good attempt at complex grammar, such as the use of conditional clauses ('if children have a hobby... then it could help'). However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the hobby', 'a hobby'), prepositions ('reach in their late 60s'), and verb forms ('it is proven that... can help'). While these errors are noticeable, they rarely impede the reader's understanding of the message. The control of punctuation is generally good, but the frequency of minor grammatical slips keeps the score at a 6.5.

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