Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-12

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 often argued that everyone, regardless of their age or occupation, should have at least one hobby. I strongly agree with this view, as hobbies provide people with an effective way to maintain their mental well-being, develop useful skills and build a more balanced lifestyle.

To begin with, having a hobby can significantly reduce stress and improve mental health. Modern life can be demanding for children, employees and even retired people, who may experience academic pressure, workplace responsibilities or loneliness. Engaging in an enjoyable activity allows individuals to temporarily disconnect from their daily concerns. For instance, a working professional who spends an hour painting, gardening or playing a musical instrument after work may feel considerably more relaxed and refreshed. Similarly, elderly people can benefit from hobbies such as gardening or reading, which can give structure and purpose to their daily lives.

Furthermore, hobbies can help people develop skills and strengthen social connections. Children who participate in sports may learn discipline, teamwork and preserverance, while young adults can acquire practical or creative skills through activities such as photography, cooking por learning a language. Hobbies can also bring people together. Joining a sports club, book a group or dance class enables individuals to meet others with similar interests and develop meaningful friendships.

In conclusion, I firmly believe that everyone should have at least one hobby. Regardless of whether a person is studying, working or enjoying retirement, having a regular leisure activity can reduce stress, encourage personal develpoment and make life more fulfilling.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response7.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.5
Lexical Resource6.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.5
Overall7.0

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response fully addresses all parts of the task prompt by presenting a clear position agreeing with the statement and discussing how hobbies benefit different age groups, including children, working people, and the retired. The student extends and supports ideas well, providing relevant examples such as employees painting or gardening after work and elderly people finding purpose through hobbies. The position is well-developed throughout the essay, demonstrating a thorough understanding of the requirements. The arguments are logical, cohesive, and directly tied to the prompt, making this a strong performance that aligns closely with the Band 8 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically sequenced with a clear introduction, well-defined body paragraphs, and a concise conclusion. Each paragraph has a distinct central topic, with the second paragraph focusing on mental health and stress reduction, and the third focusing on skill development and social connections. Cohesive devices are managed well, using phrases like 'To begin with', 'Furthermore', and 'In conclusion' to guide the reader smoothly through the argument. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately. The progression of ideas is clear throughout, earning a solid Band 7 score.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student uses a sufficient range of vocabulary with good flexibility and precision. Less common lexical items and collocations are used effectively, such as 'maintain their mental well-being', 'temporarily disconnect', and 'strengthen social connections'. There are a few minor spelling and typographical errors, such as 'preserverance' instead of 'perseverance' and 'book a group' instead of 'book club', but these infrequent slips do not impede communication. The vocabulary is appropriate for a general task response and demonstrates a good command of style.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response exhibits a good variety of complex sentence structures, such as conditional ideas, relative clauses, and participial phrases, as seen in 'Children who participate in sports may learn discipline...' and 'Regardless of whether a person is studying...'. The majority of sentences are error-free, and the student demonstrates good control of grammar and punctuation. While there are minor typographical issues like 'por' instead of 'or', these do not detract from the overall high quality of grammatical control. The grammatical range and accuracy comfortably meet the criteria for Band 7.

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

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