Many pschologists recommend that the best way to relieve stress is to do nothing at all for a period of time during the day. Do you agree or disagree?
Sample Response
One of the most pressing issues for high-income countriesfirst world countries is how to reduce their stress levels and this has led some psychologists to propose a daily period of rest. Although I think that a daily rest period would be helpfuldaily rest would be helpful, it is more important to take an active role in stress relief.
Proponents of a rest period suggest that taking a break has proven stress-reduction benefitshas proven health benefits related to stress reduction. It is very common in Latin American countries and some Southeast Asian countries to take an afternoon ‘siesta’ or short nap before resuming work. Research supportsResearch has supported the many health benefits of this rest periodthe myriad health benefits related to this stress-free period. It lowers blood pressure, increases serotonin in the brain, and aids memory function. Besides the statistical evidence from studies showing that breaks reduce stressstatistics from studies that breaks reduce stress, there is also anecdotal evidence that taking a break energises people in both the short and long term. Plowing on without breaks, by contraston the contrary, can lead to an increase in stress and has been linked to related health problems.
Instead of taking a rest, I believe that joining a team sport will do more to relieve stress. Doctors and scientists agree that exercise is the best way to reduce overall stresscut down on stress overall. In most parts of the world, football is the most common sport both to watch and to playboth to watch and participate in. Playing football reduces people'syour stress by releasing endorphins in the brain that make people happier, strengthening the heart to better withstand stressful situations, and helping people to relax by working in a team towards a shared goal. The teamwork aspect cannot be underestimated, and is integral to most sports, as it does more to reduce stress and reset your body for a new day than any other activity.
To conclude, although taking a rest certainly helps reduce stress, the best way to unwind is to play a sport. People should set aside time at least once a week to participate in team sportspartake in team sporting activities.
Why this response received Band 8.0
The essay answers the question directly, maintains a nuanced position, and develops both the benefits of rest and the stronger case for active stress relief with clear, specific support. Its main limitation is a small amount of imprecise or awkward phrasing in otherwise fluent prose. The highest-priority improvement is to qualify broad research claims and express supporting evidence with greater grammatical and lexical precision.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The position is clear throughout, and both rest and team sport are explored through relevant, well-extended reasoning.
Strengthen the response further by qualifying general claims about research and health benefits rather than presenting them as universal facts.
Coherence and Cohesion
The argument is easy to follow, with effective paragraphing, clear progression, and well-managed cohesive links.
Use a slightly smoother transition into the alternative argument so it builds more explicitly on the limits of passive rest.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is wide, precise, and natural overall, with strong control of language related to health, stress, and exercise.
Refine the few awkward combinations, particularly the phrasing used to introduce evidence from studies.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A broad range of complex sentence forms is handled accurately, and errors are rare and do not impede communication.
Polish occasional clause structures, especially when reporting research findings, to maintain consistently natural syntax.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Many pschologists recommend that the best way to relieve stress is to do nothing at all for a period of time during the day. Do you agree or disagree?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.