Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-30
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)
While applying for a job, sometimes managers ask people about their interests and martial status. Some people say that this information may be useful, while others thinks opposite.
On the one hand, some individuals believe that employers should ask personal information from employees while hiring. This will give employer more knowledge about that applicant. If manager already knows the interests of employee, it can be helpful in making a good bond between both. As a result, employee can feel more belonged to the new workplace.
On the other hand, others disagree the above statement. These people thinks that hiring team should not ask personal information from the applicant. This may not be liked by a applying person as not everyone is comfortable in sharing their personal life. For Instance, if a boss ask someone about their martial life, may be that person doesn't want to share the information due to shyness. Hence, applicant will not feel comfortable in sharing this and sometimes due to this reason they can refuse the job proposal.
Personally, I believe that employers must ask job applicants about their hobbies and interests. By knowing this, employer can help them to comfortable at their new job after joining.
Although, I understand both views, I think that sharing personal information should be optional during interviews.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a personal opinion. However, the essay is significantly under the 250-word minimum, which limits the depth of the discussion. The ideas are somewhat repetitive, particularly in the second paragraph, and the conclusion is quite brief. To improve, you should expand on your arguments with more detailed examples or explanations to meet the length requirement and provide a more comprehensive analysis of the topic.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use basic cohesive devices like 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand' to signal shifts in the argument. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes mechanical, and the transition between the body paragraphs and the conclusion could be smoother. The use of referencing is occasionally unclear, and more varied linking words would improve the overall flow of the text.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You use basic terms like 'good bond' and 'hiring team' repeatedly. There are also some errors in word choice, such as 'martial status' (should be 'marital status') and 'disagree the above statement' (should be 'disagree with'). To achieve a higher band, you should aim to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary and ensure accurate collocations, such as 'professional rapport' instead of 'good bond'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('others thinks', 'boss ask') and incorrect preposition usage. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on consistent subject-verb agreement and proofreading for basic tense errors would significantly improve your score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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