Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-28

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 6.5)

Having a pastime activity is essential for everyone. It has a positive impact on one's overall well-being, and it mitigates procrastination. In my opinion, hobbies have many advantages for all age brackets.

The major benefit of acquiring a hobby is that it not only improves physical health but also mental health. People who can not focus on one task at a time often improve by getting a new hobby. For instance, children who are engaged in at least one hobby have better cognitive abilities, which makes them more creative and sharp-minded. As a result, many schools emphasize developing different hobbies to achieve better results in exams.

In addition to health benefits, having a pastime can give individuals an opportunity to boost their productivity. It is observed that those who have a leisure activity stay active and fit throughout the day without being indolent. For example, people with hobbies are considered more productive in their workplace than those without them. Furthermore, it is a good alternative to boredom, such as many retired people enjoy gardening during their free time, which keeps them healthy and active.

However, some argue that hobbies waste people's precious time. But they have proved to be beneficial to everyone regardless of their age or occupation. Despite letting yourself busy, hobbies often free individuals' minds from all the worries in the world.

In conclusion, it is quite important for children, young adults, working people and the retired to have at least one hobby because it has better health outcomes as well as enhances their overall productivity.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the task by expressing a clear opinion on the importance of hobbies for people across different age groups. The writer presents a well-developed position throughout the essay. Ideas are extended and supported with relevant examples, such as how hobbies improve children's cognitive abilities and assist retired people in avoiding boredom through gardening. While some points could be explored in greater depth to reach a higher band, all prompts regarding children, young adults, working people, and the retired are adequately covered or generalized appropriately. The progression of ideas is logical, and the content directly answers the prompt without digression, reflecting a solid Band 7 performance for Task Achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct central topic, moving smoothly from a general introduction to physical and mental health benefits in paragraph two, productivity and alternatives to boredom in paragraph three, and addressing a counter-argument in paragraph four. Cohesive devices are used effectively and flexibly, as seen with phrases like 'In addition to health benefits', 'For example', and 'Furthermore'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately to structure the argument. Although referencing and transitional elements are generally well managed, occasional slightly mechanical transitions prevent it from reaching the highest bands. Overall, the text flows smoothly and maintains coherence throughout, justifying a Band 7 score.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student displays an adequate to sufficient range of vocabulary for the task. Less common lexical items are attempted with some awareness of style and collocation, such as 'overall well-being', 'mitigates procrastination', 'cognitive abilities', and 'indolent'. However, there are occasional inaccuracies in word choice or phrasing, such as 'pastime activity' (commonly just 'pastime' or 'hobby') and 'Despite letting yourself busy', which is awkward phrasing and should be 'Despite keeping oneself busy'. Spelling is generally accurate, and the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning clearly without impeding communication, fitting the Band 6 descriptor well.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The writer demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and conditional structures reasonably well, such as in 'People who can not focus on one task at a time often improve by getting a new hobby.' There are some minor grammatical errors and awkward structures, such as 'People who can not focus' (should be 'cannot' as one word) and the aforementioned 'Despite letting yourself busy'. Punctuation is generally correct, and sentences are structured well enough that errors rarely impede communication. The control over grammar is decent, providing a balanced mix of error-free sentences alongside minor slips, which aligns comfortably with a Band 6 rating.

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

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