Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-12

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)

I agree that the working week should be shorter and that employees should be given a longer weekend. Although reducing working hours may create challenges for some businesses, I believe that the benefits to workers' health, productivity and overall quality of life outweigh the disadvantages.

Firstly, a shorter working week could improve employees' physical and mental well-being. Many people spend most of their weekdays working and have very little time to relax or take care of their personal responsibilities. As a result, they may experience stress and burnout. An additional day off would allow workers to rest, spend time with their families and pursue personal interests. For example, someone working five consecutive days could use a three-day weekend to recover properly, which may help them return to work feeling more energetic.

Secondly, working fewer days does not necessarily mean lower productivity. Employees who are well-rested are often able to concentrate better and complete their tasks more efficiently. In contrast, people who work excessively long hours may become tired and make more mistakes. Some companies that have introduced flexible or shorter working schedules have found that employees can maintain their performance by managing their time more effectively.

In conclusion, I strongly agree that the working week should be shortened and the weekend should be extended. Giving employees more time to rest can improve their well-being and may also lead to greater productivity at work.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt clearly and maintains a consistent position throughout. The ideas regarding health, well-being, and productivity are relevant and logically developed. However, the essay is 17 words under the 250-word minimum requirement. This under-length significantly impacts the development of the argument, as the ideas remain somewhat brief and lack the depth expected for a higher band. While the position is clear, the failure to meet the minimum length constraint necessitates a penalty in this criterion, as the task has not been fully completed according to the instructions.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is well-organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Ideas are logically sequenced, and the progression of the argument is easy to follow. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'In contrast', and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to link ideas. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct points. The flow of information is smooth, and the relationship between the ideas is clear throughout the text. The structure is sound, though the brevity of the content limits the complexity of the cohesive links that could have been established.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is accurate and appropriate for the topic. There is a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey ideas with precision, such as 'consecutive', 'excessively', and 'well-being'. The student avoids repetition and uses words in their correct collocations. While the range is adequate for the task, it does not demonstrate the 'less common' or 'sophisticated' lexical items required for higher bands. The language is natural and clear, and there are no spelling or word-choice errors that impede communication. It is a solid performance in terms of lexical control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a good command of grammar, using a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. Examples such as 'Although reducing working hours may create challenges...' and 'Employees who are well-rested are often able to...' show the ability to construct complex sentences with correct subordination and relative clauses. The grammar is largely error-free, and punctuation is used correctly throughout. While the range of structures is not exceptionally wide, the accuracy is high, and the sentences are clear and well-formed. The control over grammatical forms is consistent.

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

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