Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-20
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 5.5)
Nowadays, people have busy lives, so having a hobby is very important. In my opinion, everyone should have at least one hobby, regardless of their age.
To begin with, hobbies are a good way to relax and reduse stress. for example, working people spend many hours at their jobs. After work they can enjoy activities such as reading, cooking, gardening or playing sports. These activities can make them feel fresh and happy. similarly, young adults can use their free time in a useful way instead of spending too much time on their phones.
Moreover, hobbies can help children and retired people in different ways. children can develop new skills through drawing, reading and playing music. These activities can also improve their creativity and confidence. Retired people can spend their free time doing gardening, walking or meeting friends. This can help them stay active and enjoy their daily life.
In conclusion, I strongly believe that having a hobby is beneficial for people of all ages. It can reduse stress , develop useful skills and make life more enjoyable.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
Your response presents a clear position and addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing how hobbies benefit different age groups, including working people, young adults, children, and the retired. You support your points with relevant examples, such as mentioning reading, gardening, and playing sports. However, a significant limitation is the length requirement. The text contains only 177 words, which falls well short of the 250-word minimum specified in the task instructions. Because of this under-length issue, the ideas cannot be fully extended or developed to the level required for higher bands, capping your achievement score at Band 5.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
Your essay demonstrates a clear overall structure with a distinct introduction, body paragraphs dedicated to different groups, and a concise conclusion. You make use of basic cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Moreover', and 'In conclusion' to signal the logical progression of your ideas. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different arguments. However, referencing and transitions are at times a bit mechanical, and the limited overall development prevents a higher score. Cohesion is adequate for a Band 6.0, as your ideas are arranged in a coherent overall structure even though some links could be more sophisticated.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You use an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for discussing general topics, such as 'relax', 'creativity', 'confidence', and 'beneficial'. There are some successful attempts at less common vocabulary phrases like 'regardless of their age' and 'stay active'. However, there are noticeable spelling errors, such as 'reduse' instead of 'reduce', and some minor punctuation issues like the lowercase 'for example' and 'children' at the beginning of sentences. Vocabulary is repetitive in places, but communication remains clear throughout, aligning closely with the descriptors for Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing structures such as 'working people spend many hours at their jobs' and 'I strongly believe that having a hobby is beneficial'. There are several error-free sentences, and your grammar control is generally good for simple structures. However, you make recurrent punctuation and capitalization errors, such as starting sentences with lowercase letters ('for example', 'similarly', 'children'). While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent access to higher bands, placing your grammar performance firmly at Band 6.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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