Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-10

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 6.0)

While the idea of a shorter working week and a three-day weekend sounds appealing, I completely disagree with the view that this should become the standard model for all workplaces. Implementing such a policy across the board would create severe economic, operational, and financial challenges.

First and foremost, a shorter working week can lead to major operational disruption and increased costs for businesses, particularly in labor-intensive sectors. Industries such as healthcare, emergency services, logistics, retail, and manufacturing operate on a continuous schedule. If working hours are reduced without cutting pay, companies must hire additional staff to cover the remaining days, raising payroll costs significantly. For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with tight profit margins, these added expenses could lead to financial instability, staff layoffs, or higher prices for consumers.

Furthermore, reducing workdays does not automatically guarantee higher productivity for every type of job. While project-based or creative roles might adapt well to compressed schedules, daily service-oriented jobs depend directly on hours worked. Forcing five days' worth of heavy workloads into four days can actually increase workplace pressure, forcing employees to work at an unsustainable pace, which ultimately leads to higher stress and burnout rather than well-being.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response presents a clear position and relevant arguments regarding the economic and operational challenges of a shorter working week. However, the essay is significantly under the 250-word minimum requirement, containing only 196 words. This prevents the full development of ideas and results in a lack of a concluding paragraph, which is a key component of a standard IELTS essay. While the arguments provided are logical and relevant, the failure to meet the length requirement and the absence of a conclusion mean the task is only partially addressed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay demonstrates a logical progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a clear focus, starting with a strong introduction and moving into distinct points about operational costs and productivity. Cohesive devices such as 'First and foremost' and 'Furthermore' are used effectively to link ideas. However, because the essay is incomplete and lacks a conclusion, the overall structure feels unfinished. Paragraphing is used correctly, but the brevity of the response limits the ability to demonstrate a wider range of cohesive features.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally appropriate and precise for the topic. Phrases such as 'operational disruption', 'labor-intensive sectors', 'profit margins', and 'unsustainable pace' demonstrate a good level of lexical control. The language is natural and conveys the intended meaning without difficulty. While the range is sufficient for the task, the limited length of the essay prevents the display of a wider variety of sophisticated or less common lexical items that would be required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The writing displays a good command of complex sentence structures. The use of conditional sentences ('If working hours are reduced...') and subordinate clauses ('While project-based or creative roles might adapt...') is accurate. There are very few grammatical errors, and the punctuation is handled well. The sentences are generally error-free, showing a high level of control. The main limitation is the lack of length, which restricts the opportunity to showcase a broader variety of complex grammatical forms.

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

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