Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-01

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 7.0)

There is a growing debate that working hours should be reduced, employees should be given more holidays. I strongly agree with this statement, as a shorter working week can improve employees' mental and physical well-being.

One of the compelling argument is that employees need sufficient time to rest and recover from the work related stress. Working for long hours leads to exhaustion and eventually burnout, which may negatively affect both personal and professional life. A longer weekend would allow workers to unwind from daily grind of life, spend more time with their families and engage themselves in physical activities. For instance, an employee who has an additional day off could use it for exercise or simply rest, returning to work feeling more refreshed. Consequently, better work life balance could contribute to a healthier and happier workforce.

Another advantage is that shorter working weeks may actually improve productivity. Although employers might initially worry that fewer working hours would reduce work output, well rested employers are generally more focused and motivated Instead of working long hours at work and becoming increasingly tired, workers could complete their tasks more efficiently within a shorter period. For example several companies that have experimented with four day working weeks have reported improvement in employees productivity. This suggest quality of work can be more important than the number of hours spent in the workplace.

To conclude, I strongly believe that working week should be shortened and weekends should be extended. This change would allow employees to maintain work-life balance and could simultaneously enhance their productivity.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

You have clearly addressed the prompt by taking a strong position in favor of a shorter working week. Your ideas are relevant and well-developed, particularly the points regarding employee well-being and productivity. You support your arguments with logical reasoning and a specific example of companies experimenting with four-day weeks. To reach a higher band, ensure that your introduction is slightly more robust; while you state your position, a brief outline of the two main arguments (well-being and productivity) would provide a stronger roadmap for the reader. Overall, the response is focused and fully addresses all parts of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and you use cohesive devices such as 'consequently', 'although', and 'for instance' to link your points effectively. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two main arguments. To improve, ensure that your referencing is always precise; for example, in the second paragraph, you refer to 'well rested employers' when you clearly mean 'employees'. While the flow is generally smooth, a more varied use of transition signals would enhance the sophistication of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with precision. Phrases like 'work-related stress', 'unwind from daily grind', and 'work-life balance' are used appropriately. There are some minor inaccuracies, such as using 'employers' instead of 'employees' in the second body paragraph, which slightly impacts the clarity of your argument. You attempt to use less common vocabulary, which is good, but you could further elevate your score by incorporating more sophisticated collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing like 'working hours' or 'work' in close proximity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, and your control of grammar is generally good. Most sentences are clear and error-free. However, there are some minor slips, such as missing articles ('the' daily grind) and a missing verb in the first sentence ('There is a growing debate that...'). Additionally, there is a punctuation error in the second paragraph where a comma is missing before 'Instead'. Despite these occasional errors, your meaning is never obscured, and you demonstrate a solid grasp of complex sentence construction.

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