Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-17

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Many working people get little or no exercise either during the working day or in their free time, and have health problems as a result.

Why do many working people not get enough exercise?

What can be done about this problem?

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

 

Student answer (Band 7.0)

Many people balancing both work and life, find it challenging to accommodate exercise in their routine, and face health issues due to their sedentary lifestyle. This is mainly driven by hectic work schedules, a lack of motivation and unseen mental stress experienced by working people, and there are some practical solutions to this problem.

The long working hours and commute times which leave many people with no time to exercise in weekdays. Most of them struggle to maintain their work-life balance which results in physical and mental exhaustion. Not only do they lack time in weekdays but also motivation to prioritize themselves by doing some exercise. Furthermore, the mental exhaustion consumes their free time as well, and leaves them too tired to exercise even on their free days. To exemplify, a working couple in a nuclear family, usually gets no time and energy left to exercise while working 40 hours a week, looking after their children and completing all the household chores.

Consequently, it causes weight gain that results in various physical health and mental illnesses which deteriorate quality of life. The plausible solutions are workload division among family members, flexible work provision by employers, and initiatives to raise awareness by the government. Division of household chores and outsourcing some work can help people get some time for themselves. Freedom of work from home helps to save on time wasted in commute, which can be spent on exercise. The authorities should invest in awareness initiatives to educate people on the physical and mental benefits of exercise to motivate individuals to adopt a healthy lifestyle.

To sum up, while people somehow manage to balance both work and life, they miss out on exercising which creates a sedentary lifestyle. Nevertheless, with collaborative efforts from individuals, employers and the state, people can be encouraged to incorporate exercise in their routines.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing clear reasons for the lack of exercise (long hours, exhaustion, lack of motivation) and practical solutions (workload division, flexible work, government initiatives). The ideas are relevant and well-developed, though the explanation of 'unseen mental stress' could have been expanded further to reach a higher band. The position is clear throughout, and the essay maintains a consistent focus on the topic. The structure is logical, and the arguments are supported by a relevant example of a working couple, which helps to ground the abstract points in a real-world context.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'Consequently', and 'To sum up' are used effectively to link sentences and paragraphs. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing could be more varied to improve the flow. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and the overall structure supports the development of the argument well.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, with some good collocations such as 'sedentary lifestyle', 'work-life balance', and 'physical and mental exhaustion'. There is an attempt to use less common vocabulary, though some phrasing is slightly repetitive. The range is sufficient to convey ideas with precision, but it lacks the sophistication and natural flexibility required for a higher band. There are no significant spelling errors, and the word choice is generally accurate and appropriate for the formal tone of the essay.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are some grammatical slips, such as 'leave many people with no time to exercise in weekdays' (should be 'on weekdays') and 'Freedom of work from home helps to save on time' (slightly awkward phrasing). Punctuation is generally correct, but some sentences could be refined for better flow. The majority of the sentences are error-free, and the errors present do not impede communication, which is consistent with the band 6.5-7.0 range.

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

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