Band 8.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-07-29

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

The working week should be shorter and workers should have a longer weekend.

Do you agree or disagree?

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

Student answer (Band 8.5)

Nowadays, some people believe that the working week should be shorter and workers should have a longer weekend. I completely agree with this view.

One of the main reasons why I agree is that a shorter working week would improve employees' physical and mental well-being. Many employees work long hours throughout the week, leaving them with little time to rest or spend time with their families. As a result, they often experience stress, fatigue, and even burnout, which can negatively affect both their health and overall quality of life. Having an additional day off would allow them to exercise regularly, pursue hobbies, and spend more quality time with their loved ones. Consequently, employees would return to work feeling refreshed, motivated, and better prepared to perform their duties.

Another reason why I support this view is that a shorter working week would increase employees' productivity. Employees who are well-rested are more likely to remain focused and complete their tasks more efficiently. In contrast, overworked employees often become tired, lose concentration, and make more mistakes, reducing the quality of their work. As a result, businesses may experience lower efficiency and even financial losses due to these avoidable errors. For example, several companies that have introduced a four-day working week have reported improved productivity while maintaining the same level of performance. Therefore, reducing the working week can benefit both employees and employers.

In conclusion, I firmly believe that reducing the working week would benefit both employees and employers by promoting a healthier work-life balance and improving productivity.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

The response fully addresses the prompt by taking a clear position and supporting it with two well-developed arguments: physical/mental well-being and productivity. Each paragraph introduces a main idea, explains it logically, and provides relevant supporting details, such as the mention of companies adopting a four-day work week. The position is consistent throughout the essay, and the conclusion effectively summarizes the main points. The ideas are relevant and sufficiently extended to meet the requirements of the task, demonstrating a clear understanding of the topic and a logical approach to argumentation.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the transition between paragraphs is smooth. Cohesive devices such as 'One of the main reasons', 'As a result', 'In contrast', and 'Therefore' are used effectively to link sentences and ideas. The paragraphing is appropriate, with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The flow of information is natural, and there is no evidence of mechanical or repetitive use of linking words, which contributes to a coherent and easy-to-follow argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 8.0

The vocabulary is accurate and appropriate for an academic essay. The student uses a range of topic-specific terms such as 'well-being', 'burnout', 'motivated', 'productivity', and 'avoidable errors'. The language is natural and precise, allowing the writer to convey their ideas clearly. While the vocabulary is not overly sophisticated or 'uncommon', it is used with high precision and fits the context perfectly. There are no spelling errors, and the word choice consistently supports the clarity of the arguments presented throughout the text.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.5

The essay demonstrates a good command of grammatical structures. There is a mix of simple and complex sentences, such as the use of conditional and participial phrases (e.g., 'Employees who are well-rested are more likely to...'). The grammar is highly accurate, with very few, if any, errors. Punctuation is used correctly to support the structure of the sentences. The control over complex structures is consistent, and the overall grammatical accuracy is high, which makes the writing professional and easy to read.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.