Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-22

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)

Some people believe a working week which is shorter is more beneficial rather than a longer weekend and some oppose this statement. I completely disagree with this point of view of shorter weekend. And I have some reasons which I will discuss in the next paragraphs.

One of the main reasons in the favour of longer weekend is that the world of today is quite fast and the days are just going in no time. People find little time for their family and friends which causes problems in their domestic life. If I look around myself I have many family members who have problems with their wives becasue they are not giving much time due to the busy schedule and they just have one holiday in a week. This is why I prefer to have more holidays in a week. The relationships are one of the most important things in a human life and just due to the work and professional life it is in danger.

Another reason is that having more relaxing days helps workers maintain a good and healthy life . Due to overwork, a pressure states in the office like a pressure to do this thing and when someone does this 6 days in a week it has negative affect their mental state. Working confinuously is not an important thing. This proverb is good in listening but practically it is not beneficial for humans.

In short, my opinion is to give at least two vacation holidays in every sector either if he is a Prime Minister or a factory worker. Moreover, a full pay of a week it should not give someone a low salary due to extra vacation. Becasue it works perfectly for the workers relationshps and mental health.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position in favor of a shorter working week. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you provide reasons such as family time and mental health, the arguments are repetitive and lack depth. For instance, the discussion on 'mental state' is quite brief and could have been expanded with more specific examples or analysis of the long-term benefits for productivity. The introduction is slightly confusing as it mentions opposing the shorter week but then argues for it, which creates a slight contradiction in your stance. To improve, ensure your main ideas are fully explored with more detailed supporting evidence.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your argument. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally repetitive. Phrases like 'One of the main reasons' and 'Another reason' are standard, but the transitions between sentences within paragraphs could be smoother. For example, the connection between the idea of 'fast' days and 'family problems' is a bit abrupt. Additionally, the concluding paragraph introduces new ideas about salary and the Prime Minister, which should have been integrated into the body paragraphs to maintain a logical flow. Improving the variety of linking words would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, allowing you to express your opinions clearly. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and minor errors, such as 'pressure states' instead of 'pressure exists' and 'vacation holidays' which is redundant. You rely on fairly common vocabulary; to reach a higher band, you should attempt to incorporate more precise, topic-specific collocations related to employment and well-being. For example, instead of 'good and healthy life', you could use 'work-life balance' or 'psychological well-being'. Spelling errors like 'becasue' and 'confinuously' also occur, which slightly detracts from the professional tone.

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 affect the fluency of the text. Examples include 'a working week which is shorter is more beneficial rather than a longer weekend' (awkward phrasing), 'it has negative affect their mental state' (missing preposition/verb error), and 'either if he is a Prime Minister' (incorrect conditional structure). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma placement. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles and prepositions. Increasing the variety of complex sentence structures while ensuring accuracy will help you achieve a higher score.

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

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