Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

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

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 true that the working week should be shorter and workers should get a longer weekend. I firmly agree with this opinion because short working hours reduce the stress of people and they can enjoy their time with families on weekends.

By working short period, people should have more time to rest at home. This is because they have no work to do in the office after finishing the required work and they can return home as early as possible. A teacher, for example, may come home early after completing his lectures in school. While some people can not work short time because of their manager's pressure, others rest at home with their families because of short working hours. Short period workers, therefore, can get more time to rest in home and they tend to live a stress-free lives.

People can spend more time with families during a longer weekend. Getting more time on weekends is beneficial for them, who like to enjoy the city, park or any nearby shop. For instance, after heavy job periods they may get time for enjoying good food from restaurant with their family. Not only do they enjoy time with their family, but they also play with the children to satisfy their soul. Consequently, they can spend more time with their parents and family happily because of the longer weekends.

In conclusion, I whole heartedly believe that workers should work short hours in their respective offices and by getting longer weekends they can remain stress-free. Thus, they can also spend their time with family, children and parents by going to different sides of countries to enjoy every dish, park and other enjoyment facilities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by clearly stating a position in favor of shorter working weeks and longer weekends. The ideas are relevant, focusing on stress reduction and family time. However, the development is somewhat repetitive. For instance, the second and third paragraphs both focus heavily on 'rest' and 'family time' without introducing distinct, nuanced arguments. To reach a higher band, you should expand on the broader societal or economic implications of this change, such as increased productivity or improved mental health, rather than focusing solely on the personal benefit of having more time at home.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear central topic. There is a progression of ideas from the introduction to the conclusion. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or repetitive. Phrases like 'This is because' and 'For instance' are used frequently, and some transitions between sentences feel slightly forced. While the paragraphing is appropriate, the flow between ideas could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that referencing (e.g., 'they', 'these') is always precise to avoid ambiguity.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the message to be conveyed clearly. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a reliance on simple, repetitive phrasing such as 'short working hours' and 'spend more time'. There are also minor collocation issues, such as 'satisfy their soul' and 'going to different sides of countries', which sound unnatural. To improve, you should aim to incorporate more precise academic vocabulary and idiomatic collocations related to work-life balance and labor policies.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'By working short period' (should be 'periods'), 'rest in home' (should be 'at home'), and 'live a stress-free lives' (should be 'a stress-free life'). These errors are noticeable but do not significantly impede communication. To achieve a higher band, you should focus on subject-verb agreement, correct preposition usage, and ensuring that complex sentence 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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