Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-21

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 widely believed that people of all age groups, including children, young adults, working professionals and retired people, should have at least one hobby. I completely agree with this view because hobbies not only reduce stress but also help individuals develop useful skills and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Firstly, having a hobby is an effective way to improve mental well-being. In today’s fast-paced world, students and working adults often experience pressure due to studies, jobs and personal responsibilities. Activities such as painting, gardening, reading or playing a musical instrument allow people to relax and temporarily forget about their daily worries. For example, after a stressful day at work, someone who enjoys playing badminton may feel refreshed and more energetic. Similarly, retired people can avoid loneliness by joining hobby groups or participating in community activities.

Secondly, hobbies can help people develop new skills and improve their overall personality. Children who participate in sports can learn teamwork, discipline and communication skills, while young adults who enjoy photography, cooking or coding may even turn these interests into future career opportunities. Moreover, hobbies encourage people to use their free time productively instead of spending excessive hours on social media or television.

In addition, hobbies can have physical health benefits. Activities such as swimming, cycling, dancing and gardening keep people active and may reduce the risk of health problems caused by an inactive lifestyle. This is particularly important for older adults, as regular activity can help them remain independent and socially connected.

In conclusion, I strongly believe that everyone should have at least one hobby regardless of age or occupation. Hobbies provide relaxation, improve physical and mental health, and help people learn valuable skills. Therefore, they can make life more balanced, productive and enjoyable.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The student fully addresses all parts of the task by clearly stating an opinion on whether children, young adults, working people, and the retired should have at least one hobby. A clear position is established in the introduction and maintained throughout the essay. Ideas are well-developed and supported with relevant examples, such as mentioning how painting, gardening, or playing badminton helps reduce stress, and how sports can teach children teamwork and discipline. The arguments are extended logically across separate paragraphs for mental well-being, skill development, and physical health, covering every group mentioned in the prompt. This demonstrates strong task response matching the Band 8 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The response features a logical overall progression and clear organization. Information and ideas are coherently linked using appropriate cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'In addition', and 'In conclusion'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, with each body paragraph focusing on a distinct benefit of having a hobby (mental well-being, skill development, and physical health). Referencing is clear throughout, and transitions between sentences feel natural and purposeful, ensuring the reader easily follows the line of argument. Cohesion is well-managed, aligning comfortably with a Band 8 standard.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The student demonstrates an adequate to wide range of vocabulary appropriate for the general task, successfully incorporating less common lexical items such as 'fast-paced world', 'temporary relief', 'productively', and 'socially connected'. Word choice and collocations are generally precise, with phrases like 'maintain a healthy lifestyle' and 'future career opportunities' used accurately. Spelling and word formation are flawless. While some vocabulary is slightly standard for this topic ('reduce stress', 'free time'), the overall lexical resource is flexible enough to clearly and fluently convey ideas, warranting a solid Band 7.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The essay displays a good variety of complex sentence structures, including relative clauses ('who enjoys playing badminton') and participial phrases ('participating in community activities'). The majority of sentences are error-free, and grammatical control is well maintained throughout. Punctuation is accurate, and subject-verb agreement is consistently correct. While the range of structures leans toward standard complex patterns rather than highly sophisticated or rare grammatical forms, the control demonstrated is firm and reliable, fully supporting a Band 7.0 score.

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