Work & CareersOpinion (Agree / Disagree)
IELTS Essay: Job Satisfaction Today vs the Past (Band 9 vs 6.5)
In short
Below is a full Band 9 model answer to this IELTS Writing Task 2 question, the same question written at Band 6.5, and a criterion-by-criterion breakdown of exactly what separates them — so you can see what to change in your own writing. Then check your essay with the free tool.
The question
Some people believe that employees today are more satisfied with their jobs than workers were in the past. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
How to approach a Opinion (Agree / Disagree) question
For an agree/disagree question, decide your position before you write and make it unmistakable in the introduction. You can fully agree, fully disagree, or partially agree — all are fine — but you must then defend that single position consistently across both body paragraphs. The most common Task Response error here is sitting on the fence: giving arguments for both sides without ever committing to a view.
The plan
- 01Intro: paraphrase the claim and state a clear position — largely disagree that today's workers are more satisfied.
- 02Body 1: concede improved conditions and pay, then argue these do not equal genuine fulfilment.
- 03Body 2: main reason — precarious contracts and always-on culture erode security and breed stress.
- 04Conclusion: restate that comfort has risen but satisfaction has not, until stability and personal time return.
Band 9 model answer
The proposition that contemporary employees derive greater satisfaction from their work than their predecessors is, in my view, largely unconvincing. Although material working conditions have undeniably improved, I would argue that mounting insecurity and the erosion of boundaries between work and home have left many people no more content than earlier generations.
It is easy to see why some hold the opposite view. Physically gruelling and hazardous labour has, in many industrialised economies, given way to safer, better-paid office roles, and legislation now guarantees rights that workers a century ago could scarcely have imagined. However, higher pay and comfort do not automatically translate into fulfilment. Meaning, autonomy and a sense of purpose matter far more to most people, and these are precisely the qualities that rigid, target-driven modern workplaces frequently suppress. In this respect, the emotional cost of contemporary work can quietly cancel out its practical advantages.
More significantly, the nature of employment has grown markedly precarious. The proliferation of short-term contracts and gig-economy platforms has stripped away the job security that once allowed people to plan their lives with confidence. Compounding this, smartphones have blurred the line between the office and the living room, so that many feel tethered to their inboxes long after they have clocked off. This relentless connectivity breeds chronic stress rather than contentment, undermining any gains made elsewhere.
In conclusion, while few would wish to return to the harsh conditions of the past, I do not accept that today's workers are appreciably happier. Until employers restore stability and respect employees' personal time, genuine job satisfaction is likely to remain elusive.
The same question at Band 6.5
Nowadays many people think that workers today are more happy in their job than the workers in the past. In my opinion, I do not fully agree with this idea, because there are many problems in modern work.
Firstly, it is true that some things become better. In the past, people work in factory and it was very dangerous and hard. Today, a lot of jobs are in office and the salary is also higher. Also there are more rules to protect the employee. For example, in some countries the government made new law for safety, and now the workplace is more clean and modern. So from this side, we can say the situation is improved for many worker.
Secondly, however, there is still many problem. One big problem is that people do not have secure job anymore. Many company give only short contract, so the worker always worry about the future. Also, because of the mobile phone, people must to check their email even in the night and in the weekend. This make them very tired and stress, and they can not relax with the family. Many young people also feel a lot of pressure because the boss want more result every day, and they can not enjoy their work like before.
In conclusion, even the conditions of work are better than before in some way, I do not think the workers today are really more satisfied. If the companies want happy employee, they should give more security and free time.
What separates them, criterion by criterion
| Criterion | Band 9 | Band 6.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Task Response | Takes a clear stance ('largely unconvincing') and handles the counter-argument by conceding that conditions 'have undeniably improved' before rebutting it. | Answers the question and names real issues, but ideas such as 'there is still many problem' stay general and undeveloped. |
| Coherence & Cohesion | Ideas build logically with unobtrusive linking such as 'Compounding this' and 'More significantly'. | Relies on mechanical signposts — 'Firstly', 'Secondly, however', 'Also' — and lists points rather than connecting them. |
| Lexical Resource | Precise collocation: 'mounting insecurity', 'tethered to their inboxes', 'breeds chronic stress'. | Adequate but repetitive high-frequency words: 'problem', 'better', 'tired and stress'. |
| Grammatical Range & Accuracy | Wide range of accurate complex structures ('Until employers restore stability … satisfaction is likely to remain elusive'). | Mostly simple/compound with errors — 'people work in factory', 'must to check', 'This make them' — that do not block meaning. |
Examiner's note
The Band 9 script succeeds because it commits to a clear line and defends it, conceding the opposing view before dismantling it, and it does so with precise, varied language and controlled complex grammar. The Band 6.5 answers the same question and is easy to follow, but its ideas stay at the level of assertion, its linking is mechanical, and recurring errors such as 'people work in factory' and 'must to check' keep it well short of the top bands.
Vocabulary from the Band 9 answer
| Word / phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| derive satisfaction from | to get fulfilment or enjoyment out of something |
| gruelling and hazardous labour | extremely exhausting and dangerous physical work |
| give way to | to be gradually replaced by something else |
| translate into fulfilment | to result in a genuine sense of meaning or contentment |
| target-driven | heavily focused on meeting set performance goals |
| precarious | insecure and likely to change for the worse |
| tethered to their inboxes | unable to disconnect from work email |
| clocked off | finished the working day and left work |
Frequently asked questions
How do I decide how far to agree in a 'to what extent' question?
Choose a position you can support with two solid reasons and stick to it. You can fully agree, fully disagree, or take a balanced 'agree to some extent' line — just make your stance explicit in the introduction and never sit on the fence without committing.
Do I have to mention the opposite opinion?
It is not compulsory, but briefly acknowledging and rebutting the other side, as the Band 9 essay does, shows maturity and strengthens your own argument. Keep it short so most of the essay still develops your own position.
How many words should a Task 2 essay be?
Write at least 250 words; there is no upper limit, but roughly 260–290 well-organised words in four paragraphs is ideal. Under-length answers are penalised, and padding to 400 words usually costs you accuracy and time.