Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-26

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)

In this contemporary era, work-life balance become a topic of considerable debate. I firmly believe that working time should be reduce and employees have much time to spend on hobbies and live life happily. I personally satisfy with the statement, for this aids to less stress and more productivity. This essay discusses the advantages why I believe that working hours should be shorter.

To commence, working week should be shortened and workers should be given a longer weekend. The first and foremost valid reason is that it can improves their well- being and work-life balance. To put it more simply, workers can get more time to spend with their family, friends, hobbies, exercise and personal responsibilities. For instance, if employees have long weekend, they would have new experience as well instead of always doing work. Consequently, it will help them in mental peace as well.

Moreover, another important point is that employee become more productive and creative, if they enjoy their free time rather than only focus on work. In other words, well-rested workers can concentrate better and make fewer mistakes. Apart from this, it will also attracts more skilled workers towards company and this boosts the economy of employer. Therefore, less work-related stress and burnout can lead to happier environment in both employee and employer life.

In conclusion, although work is important for stand-out in the market, workers have to enjoy their life as well with the help of a longer weekend, this gives them mental peace and higher productivity. I think companies should pay attention on their employees for better well-being.

AI examiner evaluation

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 main ideas—improved well-being and increased productivity—are relevant and logically linked to the topic. However, the development is somewhat superficial. For example, the argument regarding the 'economy of employer' is mentioned but not fully explained or supported with concrete evidence. While the position is consistent throughout, the essay would benefit from more specific examples or deeper analysis to reach a higher band. The conclusion effectively summarizes the main points, maintaining a clear stance.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, each with a central theme. The progression of ideas is logical, moving from personal well-being to professional productivity. Cohesive devices such as 'To commence,' 'Moreover,' and 'In other words' are used to link sentences and paragraphs. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing, such as the vague use of 'this' in the conclusion. Overall, the structure is coherent, and the reader can easily follow the writer's line of reasoning 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 collocations, such as 'contemporary era' and 'work-related stress.' However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and minor errors, such as 'I personally satisfy with the statement' (should be 'am satisfied') and 'stand-out in the market' (should be 'stand out'). The range is sufficient to communicate the message, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors that affect the flow. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('work-life balance become', 'it can improves', 'employee become'), missing articles, and incorrect verb forms ('should be reduce'). These errors are noticeable but do not significantly impede communication. To improve, the writer should focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and ensuring consistent verb tense usage throughout the essay.

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

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