Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-18

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

Student answer (Band 6.0)

In many urban areas, people are finding it difficult to spend quality time with their loved ones due to work more than 8 hours, and having a hectic schedule every day. This situation can lead to conflicts with family members; however, we can tackle this problem by spending quality time with them.

One major problem is that spending less time with family causes disputes and weaker relationships. People who are working long hours, and spending less time with their children feel emotionally disconnected and neglected..For instance, parents who come home late every day, never get a chance to sit with their young ones, and enjoy the quality time.Moreover, this feeling of being ignored may cause anxiety and stress which can affect mental health.

However, there are several effective ways to address these problems. Firstly, parents should avoid responding to emails and phone calls related to their workplace, and should engage with family conversations and activities to strong their bond with their loved ones. For example, in my friend's house there is a strict rule of not using their mobile phones while, having dinner because it is the only time when they are sitting together and enjoy the quality time. Secondly, they should try to communicate with their children, and make sure that they are feeling emotionally connected with family and there is no stress in the family environment.

To conclude, people should understand that it is necessary to maintain a balance between work and personal life. Parents should try not to work over time and keep aside this time for their families.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response covers the prompt reasonably well, discussing the difficulties of spending quality time with family due to long working hours, the resulting conflicts or emotional disconnect, and proposing solutions such as minimizing work distractions and communicating effectively. The ideas are relevant and generally supported with examples, such as the rule about mobile phones at dinner. However, the task type in the prompt indicates a General Training Letter, yet the student has written an essay-style response. Despite this major format misunderstanding, the content addresses the core theme of work-life balance and family issues. Therefore, Task Achievement is penalised for the incorrect format, aligning with a band 5.0 where the approach is partially appropriate for the required task type.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The text is organized into clear paragraphs, starting with an introduction, moving to problems and solutions, and concluding effectively. Cohesive devices such as 'One major problem', 'For instance', 'However', 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'To conclude' are used to structure the text, though some transitions feel a bit mechanical. The overall progression is generally logical, leading the reader easily through the discussion of problems and subsequent remedies. Referencing is mostly clear, though occasional punctuation slip-ups near conjunctions (e.g., 'neglected..For instance') slightly disrupt the flow. This performance fits comfortably into band 6.0 due to the coherent overall arrangement and functional use of cohesive devices.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms like 'hectic schedule', 'emotionally disconnected', 'anxiety and stress', and 'work-life balance'. There are some awkward collocations and lexical errors, such as 'to strong their bond' instead of 'to strengthen their bond' and 'work over time' instead of 'overtime'. Spelling is generally accurate, but the attempts at less common vocabulary sometimes feature minor inaccuracies. The lexical resource is sufficient to convey the intended meaning without impeding the reader, making it a solid band 6.0 performance.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and conditional ideas. There are several grammatical errors and punctuation issues throughout the text, for example, missing commas, double punctuation marks ('neglected..For instance'), and incorrect verb forms ('while, having dinner' and 'to strong'). Additionally, the introductory clause 'due to work more than 8 hours' lacks a gerund or noun phrase structure ('working more than 8 hours'). While these errors are noticeable and detract from precision, they rarely impede overall communication. This corresponds to a band 6.0 descriptor, where a mix of structures is attempted alongside recurring errors.

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

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