Which would you choose: a high-paying job with long hours that would give you a little time with family and friends or a lower-paying job with shorter hours that would give you more time with family and friends? Explain your choice, using specific reasons and details.
Sample Response
If I was asked to make a choice between a high-paying job with long hours and a lower-paying job with shorter hours I would hesitate to answer. I did not decide for myself yet what I want in my life more my family or my career. I think that these options are very different ones and one needs time to make a right decision.
From the one side, a high-paying job with long hours gives one more opportunities to make a great career and succeed in life. Another important aspect of this is that one can earn more money for his family. In addition to these practical benefits, a person can get satisfaction and self-realisation that are very important in one's life. I think that it is a very great and essential feeling to be a part of the progress, make differences and be satisfied with the job. However, a high-paying job with long hours brings many disadvantages too. For example, a person will have less time for his family and friends. Secondly, the job will be more stressful and bring more responsibilities. A person will have to sacrifice many things to his job.
From the other side, a low-paying job with shorter hours can bring many benefits. One can spend more time with his family and have many pleasant and beautiful moments together. Also, a job will be less stressful and not require to sacrifice one's spare time to get it done. However, a person most likely will not be able to make a career and make much money. Moreover, one's salary may be not enough to pay for his children's education.
To sum up, I think that every person at least one time in his life realize this and make a decision whether he or she wants a career or great family. And I did not make this decision yet.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use hypothetical form Original: was Suggested revision: were Why it matters: The hypothetical condition requires the subjunctive form ‘were’.
- 2. Add introductory comma Original: shorter hours I would Suggested revision: shorter hours, I would Why it matters: A comma is needed after the long introductory conditional clause.
- 3. Remove redundant pronoun Original: options are very different ones Suggested revision: options are very different Why it matters: ‘Ones’ unnecessarily repeats the noun already supplied by ‘options’.
- 4. Use definite article Original: a Suggested revision: the Why it matters: The specific decision under discussion requires the definite article ‘the’.
- 5. Use contrast marker Original: From the one side Suggested revision: On the one hand Why it matters: ‘On the one hand’ is the standard expression for introducing the first side of a contrast.
- 6. Fix number agreement Original: opportunities Suggested revision: opportunity Why it matters: ‘One more’ must be followed by a singular count noun.
- 7. Use natural collocation Original: make a great career Suggested revision: build a successful career Why it matters: English uses ‘build a career’ rather than ‘make a career’.
- 8. Use neutral pronoun Original: his Suggested revision: their Why it matters: Singular ‘they’ maintains agreement without assuming the person's gender.
- 9. Mark nonessential clause Original: self-realisation that are Suggested revision: self-realisation, which are Why it matters: A nonessential comment about both benefits requires a comma and ‘which’.
- 10. Use natural wording Original: brings many disadvantages too Suggested revision: also has many disadvantages Why it matters: ‘Has disadvantages’ is the natural collocation, and ‘also’ is placed more clearly.
- 11. Use neutral pronoun Original: his Suggested revision: their Why it matters: Singular ‘they’ avoids an unnecessary gender assumption.
- 12. Use precise collocation Original: bring Suggested revision: entail Why it matters: A demanding job ‘entails’ responsibilities rather than bringing them.
Suggested Rewrites
- was were
- shorter hours I would shorter hours, I would
- options are very different ones options are very different
- a the
- From the one side On the one hand
- opportunities opportunity
Why this response received Band 5.5
The response explores the benefits and drawbacks of both job options in a clear, logically ordered discussion, and its meaning remains accessible throughout. Its central limitation is that it never makes the choice explicitly required by the question, while several ideas and expressions remain general or awkward. The highest priority is to state a definite preference and develop two supporting reasons with precise explanations and examples.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The response discusses relevant advantages and disadvantages of both options, but it does not make the required choice and develops several points only generally.
State a clear preference in the introduction and conclusion, then support it with two fully explained reasons and specific examples.
Coherence and Cohesion
The four-paragraph structure and two-sided progression are easy to follow, although linking is sometimes mechanical and sentences within the body paragraphs are loosely connected.
Organise each body paragraph around one controlling idea and use logical referencing instead of repeated signposts such as 'From the one side'.
Lexical Resource
There is sufficient vocabulary to discuss work, family, stress, and achievement, but recurring awkward collocations reduce precision and naturalness.
Replace combinations such as 'make a great career' and 'bring more responsibilities' with accurate collocations such as 'build a successful career' and 'involve greater responsibility'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A mixture of simple and complex structures communicates the argument, but frequent errors in articles, word order, agreement, and verb patterns weaken control.
Proofread complex sentences for complete clause structure, article use, and correct verb patterns, especially after verbs such as 'require' and 'decide'.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Which would you choose: a high-paying job with long hours that would give you a little time with family and friends or a lower-paying job with shorter hours that would give you more time with family and friends? Explain your choice, using specific reasons and details.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.