Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-01

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)

At the outset of new millennium, it is essential to have one recreational activity as your hobby irrespective of the age. I completely agree with this notion as it fosters holistic personal development, provides mental relief and prevents social isolation.

For kids and children, engaging in hobby plays a fundamental role in skill acquisition and character building. Activities like playing music, participating in sports helps to develop focus, patience and discipline outside the structured classroom setup. For example, a young adult playing chess improves critical thinking and problem solving skill.

For adults , it acts as a crucial buffer against workplace stress and burnout. In modern corporate environments, digital connectivity means they never disconnect from job anxiety. Therefore, pursuing a creative activity like long run, painting, woodwork helps them to escape from the busy life and enter the state of flow where minds can reset.

Finally, for retired individuals, hobbies provide a new sense of purpose and social connection. Retirement often brings a loss of structure, which can lead to loneliness and cognitive decline. Going for a group hobbies like group photography, group hiking and volunteering in social events can help them to stay socially active and mentally sharp. Research consistently show that retirees who maintain healthy and active interests enjoy higher life satisfaction and better long-term physical health.

In conclusion, hobbies are far more than mere pastimes; they are essential for maintaining psychological balance, personal growth, and social connection at every stage of life. Encouraging people of all generations to cultivate personal interests is vital for building a healthier, more fulfilled society.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 8.0

The response covers all parts of the task well, presenting a clear position that is sustained throughout the essay. The writer successfully addresses all age groups mentioned in the prompt—children, young adults, working people, and retirees—by assigning specific benefits to each stage of life. Ideas are well developed with relevant examples, such as mentioning chess for critical thinking and workspace stress for adults. The extension of ideas is logical and comprehensive, demonstrating a sophisticated understanding of the prompt. To push further into the highest band, the writer could incorporate even more nuanced real-world implications or deeply nuanced perspectives, but overall, the task is handled thoroughly and effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5

There is a clear logical organisation and progression throughout the essay, with each paragraph building naturally upon the last. The introduction establishes the main stance, followed by well-defined body paragraphs dedicated to specific age demographics, and a concise concluding summary. Cohesive devices are used flexibly and appropriately to connect ideas, such as 'For kids and children', 'For adults', and 'Finally'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, maintaining a clear thematic focus in each section. While referencing and linking are generally smooth, achieving the highest band would require even more seamless and unobtrusive transitions between sentences to ensure the discourse flows entirely without mechanical markers.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.5

The writer demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary that allows for some flexibility and precision, such as 'holistic personal development', 'skill acquisition', and 'psychological balance'. Less common lexical items are attempted with a good awareness of style and collocation, including 'workspace stress and burnout' and 'cognitive decline'. There are occasional lexical inaccuracies or awkward phrasings, such as writing 'For kids and children' redundantly or 'Going for a group hobbies', but these do not impede communication. To reach a higher tier, the vocabulary could exhibit even more sophisticated control of idiom and less common collocation with fewer minor slips in word form.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

The essay displays a good variety of complex structures alongside simple forms, showing an ability to manage dependent clauses and participial phrases, such as 'In modern corporate environments, digital connectivity means they never disconnect from job anxiety.' There are frequent error-free sentences, and the control of grammar and punctuation is generally sound. However, a few minor errors persist, such as subject-verb agreement issues like 'Activities like playing music, participating in sports helps' instead of 'help', and 'Research consistently show' instead of 'shows'. To achieve a higher level of grammatical performance, the writer needs to eliminate these minor slip-ups to ensure the vast majority of sentences remain entirely error-free.

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