Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-29

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Employers sometimes ask people applying for jobs for personal information, such as their hobbies and interests, and whether they are married or single. Some people say that this information may be relevant and useful. Others disagree.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

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

 

Student answer (Band 5.5)

In the current time, many people claims that job interviewer are getting too personal by asking about their hobbies, marital status and many more. Some people believe that it is normal to ask about this kind of personal information. However, some of them also believe that it is not necessary to have this type of questions. I shall discuss both views in the following paragraphs.

On the one hand, many candidates believe are comfortable by giving personal information while having the interview. In addition, many employers ask about the favorite things to do, which food they like, what they love to do in the free time and many more. If I talk about my last interview experience, the interview was asking me about my favorite place to visit.

On the other hand, many people believe that these are unnecessary things to ask about. Moreover, they believe that employer should only questions which are beneficial for the company. They should have a sense to live in their limit. For instance, many doctors sometimes ask about so many baseless questions which creates the awkward scenario between us.

In my point of view, I believe that interviewer should know about the confidentiality. Nevertheless, they should not ask the question which make the opposite person uncomfortable.

To sum up, I have seen so many employers try to become to friendly while taking the interview but I personally believe that this is not the right thing to do. They should try to maintain good professional relationship with candidate.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a personal opinion, meeting the basic requirements of the prompt. However, the development of ideas is limited. For example, the arguments regarding why personal questions might be useful are underdeveloped, relying on simple lists of examples like 'favorite food' rather than explaining the professional relevance. Similarly, the counter-argument is brief and lacks depth. To improve, you should expand on the 'why' behind these views—such as discussing how personal information might help assess cultural fit versus the risk of bias or discrimination. The position is clear, but the supporting evidence needs more substance to reach a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand,' 'On the other hand,' and 'To sum up' to signal transitions. However, the flow within paragraphs is sometimes mechanical or repetitive. For instance, the phrase 'many people believe' is used repeatedly, which makes the progression feel a bit stagnant. Additionally, some sentences are loosely connected, and the referencing (e.g., 'these are unnecessary things') could be more precise. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring each sentence builds logically on the previous one would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on basic, repetitive phrasing such as 'many people,' 'many employers,' and 'many more.' There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'baseless questions' (which is not quite the right fit for intrusive questions) and 'create the awkward scenario.' To improve, try to use more specific academic or professional vocabulary related to recruitment and workplace ethics. Expanding your range of synonyms and focusing on natural word combinations will help you convey your ideas with greater sophistication and clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text that occasionally impede the flow. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('many people claims,' 'employer should only questions'), missing articles ('the interview was asking me'), and awkward phrasing ('the interview was asking me about my favorite place to visit'). While you attempt some complex structures, they are often inaccurate. To reach a higher band, you need to focus on basic accuracy, particularly with verb tenses, pluralization, and sentence construction. Proofreading for common errors like subject-verb agreement and ensuring that your complex sentences are grammatically sound will significantly improve your score.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.