Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-07
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 the contemporary world, most of the occupations require smarter computer work instead of physical hardships. Therefore, an increasing number of employees demanding for longer weekend by reduction in working days. Although this view has some drawbacks like may be in some sectors productivity suffer, while I maintain that Long weekends become more beneficial if they are utilize properly.
There are many advantages of short working periods. One of the main advantages is that it allows working individuals to relax more and spend their quality time with families and loved ones. Two to three vacations in a week may provide enough time to recover from excessive workload and to come with fresh mind and with more confidence. For example, in computer fields like video editing, web development or truck dispatching do not require increasing working hours, instead these sects involve more creative ideas, positive attitude and great appeal for their profession.
Furthermore, having shorter working hours not only beneficial for employees, employers also achieve required targets by having a more productivity and healthy environment in employment area. In addition, business owners or boss should reduce unnecessary meetings to give extra holiday.
On the other hand, this approach may have some drawbacks. One of the major disadvantages is that in some fields like in healthcare and emergency services,there is continous work demanded. Moreover in other jobs like in call centre, and in sales offices, productivity determined by calculating devoted job hours.
In conclusion, although shorter working days may led to lower productivity and overall growth, while it can be addressed with proper strategies like reducing unnecessary meetings or making more flexible by providing work from home facility. Therefore, I believe that advantages of long weekends may outweigh it's disadvantages.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| 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 and maintains a clear position throughout. The ideas are relevant, such as the benefits of work-life balance and the challenges in specific sectors like healthcare. However, the development is somewhat uneven. While the first body paragraph provides some explanation, the second paragraph regarding employer benefits is quite brief and lacks depth. The counter-argument is well-integrated, but the conclusion introduces new suggestions (e.g., 'work from home') that were not previously discussed in the body paragraphs. To reach a higher band, ensure that all points are fully extended with specific examples or logical reasoning rather than just listing them.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Furthermore', 'In addition', and 'On the other hand', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or misused, such as the use of 'while' in the introductory and concluding sentences, which creates a slightly awkward structure. Referencing is generally clear, but the flow between sentences could be improved to ensure a smoother progression of ideas. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the main arguments from the counter-arguments.
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 vocabulary, such as 'contemporary world' and 'physical hardships'. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'sects' (likely meaning 'sectors'), 'productivity suffer' (should be 'productivity suffers'), and 'employment area' (should be 'workplace'). These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the precision of the argument. Expanding the range of topic-specific vocabulary would help improve the score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement ('employees demanding', 'productivity determined') and article usage. Some sentences are also structurally incomplete or awkward, such as 'Although this view has some drawbacks like may be in some sectors productivity suffer'. While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors in basic grammar and sentence construction prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and verb forms would be highly beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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