Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-18

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)

It is very necessary that everyone get regular breaks from their professional work. Many people believe that weekend should be longer than they currently are. I partially agree to this view. There is a need that employees get an extra day to relax, but there are some drawbacks of it.

To begin with, people work daily during the week days. The constant work effects their physical as well as mental health. For instance, if an individual do the same work daily at the office, he may feel exhausted after some days. Also, they get tired by completing every task in given timelines. In return, they only get a Sunday to relax, which may not be sufficient. If a person get an extra one or two days of weekend, he can spend some more quality time with his loved ones, take some rest and can freshen up his mind. Additionally, since, workers get a enough break by this, they can start a new week with fresh energy or mindset, which will definitely reflect on their work.

On the other hand, it has few downsides. If there are less working days of week, it will effect adversely on the pace of work. Because firms will not get more weekly working hours by this, they may start pressurizing their employees to finish the work in lesser time. Even, if they cannot complete the work in a week, they will not able to fully enjoy their weekends. This way, it can harm either the companies or the employees.

To conclude, every grass has some weeds. weekends should get extend, yet with some limitations such as there can be a holiday on alternative Saturdays and a half-day on the last working day of week.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both sides of the argument and providing a clear personal position. The ideas are relevant, such as the impact on mental health and the potential for increased work pressure. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument regarding the 'drawbacks' could be more deeply explored with concrete examples of how industries might suffer. The conclusion offers a practical compromise, which shows good engagement with the topic. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is supported by more detailed explanation or specific real-world examples rather than general statements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. The introduction sets the stage, the body paragraphs handle the opposing views, and the conclusion summarizes the argument. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Additionally', 'On the other hand', and 'To conclude' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing, such as the vague use of 'it' in 'it will effect adversely'. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'adversely' and 'sufficient'. However, there are several instances of word-choice errors and awkward collocations, such as 'every grass has some weeds' (an incorrect idiom) and 'effects their physical' (should be 'affects'). The range is sufficient to communicate the message, but the lack of precision and occasional misuse of words prevents a higher score. Focusing on accurate collocations would significantly improve the quality of the writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors that detract from the fluency. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('if an individual do', 'a person get'), incorrect verb forms ('will not able to'), and confusion between 'effect' and 'affect'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the sentence construction is often repetitive. To improve, the writer should focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring that complex structures are used with greater accuracy.

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

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