Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-03
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)
Nowadays, many people work for long hours during the week. Some people believe that the working week should be shorter and workers should have a longer weekend. I agree with this because it can improve people's health, reduce stress and help them spend more time with their family.
On the right hand, a shorter working week can help workers to get more rest. When people work for long hours, they can feel tired. So that, they may not work properly and their productivity can become low. In addition to, this having a longer weekend gives workers more time to relax and do activities which they enjoy. For example, workers can go for a walk, celebrate a fun friday, and play sports. As a result, Workers can spend more quality time with their family. They can also feel more fresh and motivated when they return to work. Therefore a longer weekend can improve both their personal life and work
On the other hand, some companies may think that a shorter working week can reduce their productivity and profit. However, i believe that well-rested people can work more effectively. Moreover, they may have make fewer mistakes at work. In other words, working for longer hours does not always mean that people will produce better results. Therefore, companies can give employees a flexible schedule or an extra day off.
In conclusion, i strongly agree that the working week should be shorter and people should have a longer weekend. There can be some disadvantages for businesses, but also i believe the benefits are greater.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response addresses all parts of the prompt, clearly stating a position in the introduction and maintaining it throughout. The ideas regarding health, productivity, and work-life balance are relevant and logically extended. However, the development is somewhat basic; for instance, the example of 'celebrate a fun friday' is a bit informal and lacks the depth required for a higher band. To improve, you should aim to provide more nuanced arguments or specific real-world examples to support your claims, as the current support is somewhat repetitive.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a central theme. You use basic cohesive devices like 'On the other hand', 'In addition to', and 'Therefore' to link ideas. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or misused, such as 'On the right hand' (which is not a standard English idiom) and 'In addition to, this having a longer weekend'. Improving the variety and accuracy of your linking words would help the flow of the essay feel more natural and sophisticated.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks range and precision. You rely on common phrases like 'work for long hours' and 'produce better results'. There are some minor errors in collocation and word choice, such as 'they may have make fewer mistakes' (grammatical error affecting lexical flow) and 'feel more fresh'. To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more academic collocations and less common vocabulary related to the topic of labor economics or workplace psychology.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are frequent minor errors, such as 'So that, they may not work properly' (incorrect usage of 'so that') and 'In addition to, this having a longer weekend' (awkward phrasing). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are instances where sentence boundaries are slightly blurred. To improve, focus on mastering complex sentence structures and ensuring subject-verb agreement and prepositional accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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