Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Many employees are of the opinion that there should be more holidays in a week meaning less days spent in the workplace. I agree that there should be a shorter number of working days in a week because it helps improve work-life balance and helps boost productivity in the longer run. This essay will address the reasons stated above in detail.

Firstly, as we all are aware of the importance of work-life balance especially considering the modern day jobs which are hectic in nature. This leads to many employees neglecting their social and personal life even affecting their mental health and surroundings as they become depressed or anxious which is a result of the constant stress and the lack of essential rest that comes with working five days a week. This is worsened by the fact that many people are so busy on their work that spending quality time with family itself becomes a challenge .Having longer weekends helps to tackle the issue as now employees are able to rest properly as well as spend more time with their loved ones helping to ensure that they do not compromise work as well as their personal relationships .

Additionally, it leads to better productivity in the workplaces in the longer run. This is because due to longer holidays employees would be willing to work more during week as employees feel valued and motivated helping to maintain loyalty to the company and reduce redundancy and retraining costs of the company. This results in better quality of work in shorter span of time boosting the revenue and profits of the company eventually.

In conclusion, workers should have a longer weekend as this decision benefits the workers and the company as well given the harmony which is created by this decision especially in the near future.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses the prompt clearly and maintains a consistent position throughout. The introduction sets the stage effectively, and the two body paragraphs provide relevant arguments regarding work-life balance and productivity. The ideas are extended and supported with logical reasoning, such as the link between employee motivation and company profitability. However, the development could be slightly more nuanced; for instance, the argument about 'redundancy and retraining costs' is a strong point that could have been explored with a concrete example to reach a higher band. Overall, the response is well-focused and fulfills all requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the transition between the introduction, body, and conclusion is smooth. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Additionally', and 'In conclusion' are used appropriately to guide the reader. While the structure is sound, the use of referencing could be more sophisticated; for example, the phrase 'the reasons stated above' in the introduction is a bit mechanical. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate distinct arguments, ensuring the reader can easily follow the writer's line of reasoning throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate and appropriate for the task. The writer uses some topic-specific terms like 'work-life balance', 'productivity', and 'redundancy'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a reliance on simpler phrasing. Some collocations are slightly unnatural, such as 'shorter number of working days' (a more natural choice would be 'fewer working days'). To improve, the writer should aim to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary and idiomatic expressions to demonstrate a wider range. Despite these minor limitations, the meaning is always clear, and the vocabulary choice does not impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several instances of accurate complex sentences, such as 'This is worsened by the fact that many people are so busy on their work that spending quality time with family itself becomes a challenge.' However, there are some grammatical slips, such as 'less days' instead of 'fewer days' and 'busy on their work' instead of 'busy with their work'. Punctuation is generally correct, though some sentences are slightly long and could benefit from more precise clause management. The errors present do not interfere with the overall clarity of the message.

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