Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-06

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 5.5)

Technology has advanced significantly. People spend more hours sitting at desks and doing work which gradually impacted their well-being. Therefore, I believe that working hours should be shortened and there should be long weekend for workers to spend their leisure time.

To begin with, reducing the working week allows one to maintain a healthier work-life balance. People become less prone to certain health conditions such as neck pain, eyesight issues, tension headaches, stiffness in the body. Now in every sector the usage of computers is compulsory, so people spend a lot of time in front of screens to accomplish their tasks and meet deadlines. For instance, IT professionals spend more time on laptops to write code and developing new applications and websites. As a result, longer weekends allow them to relax, recover from physical and mental fatigue, and return to work with greater energy and concentration.

In addition to this, longer weekend strengthen family relationships

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, as it is only 155 words long. This significantly impacts the development of ideas. While you present a clear position and introduce relevant arguments regarding health and family, the essay is incomplete. The final paragraph is cut off mid-sentence, and there is no conclusion. To achieve a higher band, you must fully develop your points with more detailed examples and ensure the essay follows a complete structure (introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion). Because the response is substantially under-length, it cannot be awarded a score higher than 5.0 for Task Achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay shows a basic level of organization. You use some cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'For instance', and 'In addition to this' to link ideas. However, the progression is interrupted by the incomplete nature of the text. Paragraphing is attempted, but the final paragraph is unfinished, which disrupts the overall flow. To improve, ensure that each paragraph is fully developed and that you include a concluding paragraph that summarizes your main points and restates your position. The logical flow is present but hindered by the lack of completion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'work-life balance', 'physical and mental fatigue', and 'compulsory'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'long weekend' (should be 'a longer weekend') and 'strengthen' (should be 'strengthens' to agree with the subject). The vocabulary is generally clear and appropriate for the topic, but it lacks the range of less common or idiomatic expressions required for higher bands. Focusing on more precise collocations will help improve your score in this area.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'developing new applications' (should be 'develop new applications' to maintain parallel structure with 'write code') and the missing article in 'there should be long weekend'. Punctuation is generally accurate, but the incomplete sentences at the end of the text prevent a higher assessment of your control. To improve, focus on maintaining parallel structures in lists and ensuring subject-verb agreement throughout your writing.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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