Some people prefer to plan activities for their free time very carefully. Others choose not to make any plans at all for their free time. Compare the benefits of planning free-time activities with the benefits of not making plans. Which do you prefer - planning or not planning for your leisure time? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your choice.
Sample Response
The pace of life has reached such a dizzying pacedizzy height today that finding time for leisure has itself become cumbersome. When it comes to free time, some peoplesome among the mass opine that it should be used carefully and purposefullyspent with diligence and prudence. However, others oppose this argument and insist that free time should not be something planned. Now the following discussionthe below discourse examines the advantages and disadvantagesthrows light on pros and cons of planning one's free time accommodating both views.
In the midst of the emergencearisen of a new world order, planning and strategies play a vital role in our day to day life. Strategy and being strategically optimistic is considered essential factors of becoming successful, in this context, a leisure time spent with a proper plan is a leisure time spent wisely. Careful planningA proper prudence, before using your free timeprior to spending your free time can invariably reduce waste of time and moneythe wastage of time and money involved. To exemplify, a well planned and organised vacation could save a lot of money and time on hotels, transportationon the hotel, transportation and so on. The monitory loss, on an unorganised holiday more or less is an explicit these days. Lost moments areLost moments, are irreversible and planning one's holiday reflectsacknowledges the value of time. In addition to this, with proper planningwith a proper planning, one could avail the privilege of being an early bird, for instance, spending one'sone;s time shoppingtime on shopping where there are more offers will be beneficial compared to navigating by the Sun.
On the contrary, some argue that free time should be spent instinctively and should not be constrained by plans and preconceptionsbiased to planning and prejudices. Such prerequisites spoil the enjoyment factor involved.They insist that not to plan, is the best plan to spend one's free time. According to them, leisure time should not be constrained by definite plansget pre-indulged with definite plans as this would make it another mechanical day being spent in some other places than the office. All that would take place on a leisure day should be impulsive, and not envisaged.
Now, from an objective analysis of the above-mentioned points, I would prefer to spend my free time in a well organised and judicious manner. As the saying goes "time and tide waits for none", proper planning will ensure less wastage of time. Moreover, such a habit comes with additional benefits of financial gains and much more. To conclude, it is apparent from the above that planning one's leisure time is imperative and rather ubiquitous nowadays.
Why this response received Band 6.0
Your response presents a clear preference and gives a reasonably developed explanation of how planning can save time and money, supported by a relevant holiday example. The comparison is uneven because the benefits of spontaneity receive much less development, while frequent awkward word choices and grammatical slips make several sentences unnatural; prioritise precise, idiomatic phrasing and develop the unplanned side with a specific explanation or example.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The response addresses both approaches and states a clear preference, but the benefits of not planning are only briefly explained.
Develop the unplanned approach with a specific reason and example so the comparison is more balanced.
Coherence and Cohesion
The four-paragraph structure and overall progression are clear, although some transitions are mechanical and several sentences connect ideas awkwardly.
Use simpler logical links and ensure each sentence advances the paragraph's central idea naturally.
Lexical Resource
The response attempts a broad vocabulary, but frequent inaccurate collocations and word choices make the expression unnatural.
Choose familiar, precise words and check collocations instead of relying on overly formal expressions.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A mix of sentence forms is attempted, but recurring errors in agreement, articles, punctuation, and clause structure weaken control.
Proofread each complex sentence for a complete clause, accurate agreement, and correctly placed punctuation.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Some people prefer to plan activities for their free time very carefully. Others choose not to make any plans at all for their free time. Compare the benefits of planning free-time activities with the benefits of not making plans. Which do you prefer - planning or not planning for your leisure time? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your choice.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.