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)
There is an ongoing debate regarding working holidays. People believe that working days should be shorter and employees should get longer weekend. I agree to this statement which is elaborated further with reasons and examples.
On the one hand, it is an advantage for workers as they will get more quality time with their family members, relatives and friends. This is because if they have longer weekend they can make plans go on vacations, they can attend more family gatherings. For example: working culture in Ireland provide long weekends for their employees. As a result this can make them happy and motivated that will be beneficial for the working sector.
On the other hand, after working for a whole week employees get more frustrated and even some time they feel depressed due to the working burden. Even after working for the whole week, longer weekends can give them time to get relax. This is because workers can take rest they can spend their alone quality time and maintain their sleep schedule. As a result workers will feel more healthy and energetic they will take less holidays.
In contrast, workers should considered this long weekends seriously after coming back to the workings days they should focus more and feel more work enthusiastic. Employees should not forget their responsibilities and goals after long holidays they should do their work efficiently.
In conclusion, I agreed to this statement but their should be a balanced between both of them. As it will give employees time to spend with their family and to improve their health. Moreover, Employees should not forget their responsibilities and goals during workings day they should be more disciplined and s give their best.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt by clearly stating a position in favor of a shorter working week. The ideas are relevant, focusing on family time and employee well-being. However, the development is somewhat repetitive, particularly in the second and third paragraphs, where the focus on 'feeling frustrated' and 'needing rest' is restated rather than expanded upon with deeper analysis. While the position is clear throughout, the arguments could be more sophisticated to reach a higher band. The conclusion introduces a balanced view, which is a good attempt at nuance, but the overall development remains at a functional level.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear central topic. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'In contrast, workers should considered this long weekends seriously'. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally imprecise, and the flow between sentences within paragraphs could be smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate, but the internal cohesion needs more variety to avoid a repetitive structure.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific language like 'working sector', 'working burden', and 'disciplined'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of imprecise word choice or awkward collocations, such as 'working holidays' (when referring to the working week) and 'work enthusiastic'. The vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the message, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands.
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, particularly with verb forms and subject-verb agreement, such as 'workers should considered' and 'there should be a balanced'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some run-on sentences and missing commas. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. A greater focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy would be beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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