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 reduced working hours, 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 at 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 long job schedule they may get time for enjoying good food from restaurants 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 increasing time of weekends.

In conclusion, I wholeheartedly believe that workers should work short hours in their respective offices and by getting more weekend time 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. The ideas are relevant, focusing on stress reduction and family time. However, the development is somewhat repetitive. The arguments rely on general statements rather than deep analysis or specific, well-integrated examples. For instance, the example of a teacher is mentioned but not fully explored to show how a shorter week specifically benefits their professional or personal life. To reach a higher band, you should aim to extend your arguments with more nuanced reasoning, such as discussing the potential impact on productivity or societal well-being, rather than simply restating the benefits of rest.

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. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'For instance,' 'Consequently,' and 'In conclusion,' which help guide the reader. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'because of' and 'due to' structures. The referencing is generally clear, but the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that the relationship between ideas is more sophisticated.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for higher bands. You use basic terms like 'short working hours' and 'rest at home' repeatedly. While the meaning is always clear, there is little evidence of less common lexical items or idiomatic expressions. Phrases like 'satisfy their soul' and 'different sides of countries' are slightly unnatural in an academic context. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and academic vocabulary related to employment, work-life balance, and psychological well-being.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'live a stress-free lives' (should be 'a stress-free life' or 'stress-free lives') and 'short period workers' (which is not a standard collocation). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. You have attempted complex sentences, but they are often slightly awkward. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and ensuring that complex structures are used accurately will help you move up to a higher band.

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

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