Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-09

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 5.0)

The working week should be shorter and workers should have a longer weekend. This thing directly affects the professional life of individuals and give them more time to handle their personal matters.This allows them to refresh themselves.

This essay examines the topic of length of working week, highlighting key outcomes, and offering a justified conclusion.

To begin, an important point about formal learning is that it has both short-term and long-term effects on individuals and communities. In the short term, it influences how people behave and make decisions in their daily lives, while in the long term, it shapes future generations and the direction of society. For example, in today's world, many people can observe its impact in their everyday routines, as it affects education, work and personal life in various ways. It can even alter how individuals set goals and interact with others.

Additionally, another key point is that longer weekend plays an essential role in shaping the future of both individuals and society. This is largely because it not only influences how people live today but also determines the opportunities available to them in the future.

For instance, in many countries, longer weekend affects people's education, employment prospects, lifestyle, and overall well-being. In some cases, it can impact the stability of communities and the level of national progress.

In conclusion, the issue at hand is multifaceted and demands thoughtful evaluation. A well-balanced approach is crucial to achieve the most reasonable outcome. Only through careful consideration one can make meaningful progress.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to address the prompt effectively. While the introduction mentions the topic of a shorter working week, the body paragraphs shift focus entirely to 'formal learning' and its effects on society, which is irrelevant to the prompt. The essay lacks a clear position on whether the working week should be shortened, and the arguments provided do not support the task requirements. The content is generic and does not engage with the specific debate regarding work-life balance or economic implications of a shorter work week. Consequently, the response is largely off-topic, resulting in a low score for task achievement as the core requirements of the prompt are not met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, and there is some attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'To begin', 'Additionally', and 'In conclusion'. However, the progression of ideas is illogical because the content of the paragraphs does not relate to the thesis statement or the prompt. The transition between the introduction and the body paragraphs is disjointed. While the paragraphing is present, the lack of thematic unity makes the overall structure ineffective. The use of cohesive devices is mechanical and does not serve to link relevant arguments, as the arguments themselves are disconnected from the topic.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is repetitive and lacks the precision required for an academic essay. Phrases such as 'This thing', 'important point', and 'key point' are overly simplistic. The student relies on vague terminology like 'various ways' and 'some cases' rather than specific, topic-related vocabulary. There is no attempt to use less common lexical items or sophisticated collocations. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey basic meaning, it is not varied enough to demonstrate the flexibility required for higher bands. The language remains at a very general level throughout the text.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'give them more time' (should be 'gives') and 'longer weekend plays' (should be 'a longer weekend plays'). Punctuation is generally functional, though there are minor spacing issues after periods. The range of structures is limited, and the errors, while not always impeding communication, are frequent enough to be noticeable. The control over subject-verb agreement and article usage is inconsistent, which prevents the essay from reaching a higher band for grammatical accuracy.

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

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