Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-17

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

It is very common for people to change both their habits and their opinions as they get older.

Do you agree or disagree?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 6.0)

For individuals it is certain to change their habits and perspectives as they move on in life. I agree with this statement because when people are mature enough, they have crucial responsibilities and working overtime at their job has a poor effect on mental health.

When people grow older in life, they have several responsibilities on their shoulder. In their youth the only thing that matters to them is to complete their assignments, play online games, travel with friends and stay up late at night. However, when they get older they have marriages to maintain, get up early for their jobs, eat healthy and do exercise. These are some of the habits a mature person has to do in their lives. For instance, compared to teenagers, people in their late 40s have higher stress levels in their life due to workloads and responsibilities.

Doing overtime shifts at work has an impact on individuals’ mental health. As a new employee for being relevant, they work hard and extra work compared to other peers. However, after a long time this practice comes at a very high price because they do not have quality time with their friends and family. They realize sooner or later that not only physical but mental health is also important to them. For example, in the UK a company called Apple allowed holidays four days a week and the yearly stats show that employees are more satisfied compared to others.

In conclusion, it is very obvious that people change their mindset and habits as they get more experienced. I agree because in life we have important responsibilities to maintain and as you get more experienced with life, your opinions do change.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses the prompt directly, taking a clear stance that people indeed change their habits and opinions as they age. The candidate presents relevant ideas and supports them with examples, such as contrasting the lifestyle of youth with the responsibilities of adulthood. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited and occasionally shifts focus. For instance, the paragraph discussing overtime shifts and mental health introduces a specific workplace issue (mentioning a four-day work week at Apple) which feels slightly tangential to the broader prompt about general habits and opinions over a lifetime. Nevertheless, all parts of the task are addressed, and a clear position is maintained throughout, fitting the Band 6 descriptor well.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction and conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas, such as youthful versus mature habits, and the impacts of work on mental health. Cohesive devices are employed to connect sentences, with phrases like 'However,' 'For instance,' and 'In conclusion' used to signal logical relationships. However, referencing and progression are occasionally faulty. For example, the transition between discussing general responsibilities in the second paragraph and diving into overtime shifts in the third paragraph is somewhat abrupt. Furthermore, some sentences lack smooth integration, making the flow occasionally mechanical.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common lexical items such as 'perspectives,' 'responsibilities,' and 'overtime shifts.' There are, however, noticeable inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For instance, phrases like 'move on in life' instead of 'grow older,' and 'responsibilities on their shoulder' instead of 'on their shoulders,' detract from precision. Spelling is generally accurate, but awkward phrasing such as 'a company called Apple allowed holidays four days a week' shows limitations in lexical flexibility. The vocabulary is sufficient to communicate meaning clearly, aligning with a Band 6 score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over basic structures and attempting more intricate constructions such as 'when people are mature enough, they have crucial responsibilities.' However, there are frequent grammatical errors and awkward structures throughout the text. Examples include 'For individuals it is certain to change' (incorrect subject/infinitive structure), 'As a new employee for being relevant' (unclear phrasing and grammar), and missing pluralisation or prepositions. While these errors do not severely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the writing from reaching a Band 7.

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

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