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 shoulders. 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 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 people gain more experienced with life, your opinions do change.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses the prompt by discussing how people change their habits and opinions over time, taking a clear position in agreement. Ideas are extended with examples, such as the contrast between youth and adult responsibilities, and the mention of workplace stress and corporate policies like a four-day work week. However, the connection between working overtime and changing opinions or habits is slightly tangential in the third paragraph, as it shifts into a broader discussion of mental health and employee satisfaction rather than directly addressing personal habit evolution. While the position is clear throughout, the development of ideas could be more tightly focused on the core question of aging and changing perspectives. Therefore, the response fulfills the requirements for a Band 6.5 or solid Band 6 level, sitting comfortably at a band score of 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with clear paragraphing, separating the introduction, two body paragraphs examining different facets of life changes, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are employed, such as 'However', 'For instance', and 'In conclusion', though some referencing is slightly mechanical. For example, the pronoun shifts in the final paragraph ('as people gain more experienced with life, your opinions do change') disrupt consistency. Paragraph progression moves logically from general maturity and responsibilities to specific workplace habits and mental health considerations. While cohesion is sometimes faulty and referencing not always entirely clear, the overall progression remains apparent, justifying a band score of 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The writer demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms such as 'perspectives', 'responsibilities', 'workloads', and 'satisfaction'. There are some attempts to use less common vocabulary like 'crucial responsibilities' and 'substantially', though instances of awkward word choice and collocation occur, such as 'gain more experienced' instead of 'gain more experience' or 'become more experienced', and 'holidays four days a week' instead of 'a four-day work week'. Spelling is generally accurate, and vocabulary errors do not impede communication, allowing the reader to follow the argument without difficulty. This linguistic profile aligns with the descriptors for Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including conditional and contrastive structures such as 'When people grow older in life, they have several responsibilities on their shoulders' and 'However, when they get older they have marriages to maintain...'. There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasing throughout, such as 'For individuals it is certain to change' instead of 'Individuals are certain to change', 'for being relevant' instead of 'to remain relevant', and pronoun inconsistency in the conclusion ('people gain... your opinions'). Punctuation is mostly adequate, but some awkward phrasing requires the reader to slow down. Because errors are present in complex structures but do not impede overall communication, a band score of 6.0 is appropriate.

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

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