Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-08

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 7.5)

Th working week has been increasingly demanding, and some people believe that it shouldd be shortend so that employees can enjoy a longer weekend. I strongly agree with this view because a shorter working week can improve workers productivity and promote a healthier work life balance.

Firstly, reducing working hours can make employees more productive. When people work for long periods without sufficient rest, they are more likely to experience stress and fatigue, which can reduce their concentration and efficiency. In contrast, having an additional day off would allow workers to recover physically and mentally. As a result, they could return to work feeling more energetic and motivated. For example, companies that introduce flexible working schedules often find that employees are more focused during their working hours.

Secondly, a longer weekend would give people more time to spend with their families and participate in social or recreational activities. This is particularly important for parents, who may struggle to balance professional responsibilities with family life. Extra free time could also encourage people to exercise, pursue hobbies, or simply relax. These activities can contribute to better mental and physical health, which may ultimately reduce absenteeism in the workplace.

However, some businesses may be concerned that a shorter working week could increase costs or reduce the amount of work completed. Nevertheless, this problem could be addressed by improving workplace efficiency and using flexible schedules rather than simply reducing employees’ salaries.

In conclusion, I strongly agree that the working week should be shorter and the weekend longer. The benefits of greater productivity, improved health, and a better work-life balance outweigh the possible disadvantages for employers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

You have fully addressed all parts of the prompt by taking a clear position and supporting it with relevant arguments. Your ideas regarding productivity, mental health, and work-life balance are well-developed and logically extended. You also acknowledge the counter-argument regarding business costs, which adds depth to your response. The position is consistent throughout the essay, and the conclusion effectively summarizes your stance. To reach a higher band, ensure that your examples are slightly more specific; for instance, instead of mentioning 'companies that introduce flexible working schedules' in general, you could briefly describe a specific industry or a well-known case study to provide more concrete evidence.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

Your essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and you use transition signals such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'In contrast', and 'Nevertheless' effectively to guide the reader. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the relationship between ideas is clear. Cohesion is managed well, and there is no evidence of mechanical or repetitive use of linking words. To improve further, you could vary your cohesive devices slightly more to ensure the flow feels even more natural and sophisticated, perhaps by using more complex referencing or substitution techniques to link sentences within paragraphs.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with precision. Phrases like 'professional responsibilities', 'absenteeism', and 'flexible working schedules' are used accurately. There are a few minor spelling errors, such as 'shortend' and 'Th' (for 'The'), which are likely slips but should be avoided. Your word choice is generally appropriate for an academic context. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more 'less common' lexical items or idiomatic collocations that demonstrate a more sophisticated command of the language, such as 'mitigate the impact' or 'a paradigm shift in corporate culture'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

You use a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, and the majority of your sentences are error-free. Your control over grammar is generally strong, with correct use of modal verbs and conditional structures. However, there are a few minor errors, such as the missing apostrophe in 'workers productivity' (should be 'workers' productivity') and the aforementioned spelling slips. These errors are non-systematic and do not impede communication. To reach a higher band, ensure consistent use of punctuation, particularly possessives, and aim for a slightly wider variety of complex grammatical structures, such as inversion or passive voice, to demonstrate greater flexibility.

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

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