Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-11
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)
The modern working environment can be stressful and many employees struggle to maintain a healthy balance between professional and personal lives. Some people believe that long working hours should be reduce so employees can enjoy long weekend which can reduce stress and maintain healthy balance and increase productivity. I strongly agree with this point of view that working hours should be reduce.
Firstly longer weekend can help employees to recover from work related stress and fatigue. An addition work day off give them to take more rest.
In my own experience of working in a bank is very busy and busy working days can be mentally exhausting because employees has to deal with daily financial transaction, Customers and administrative responsibilities. Having an extra day to rest can make employees more refreshed and mentally prepared.
Secondly shorter working hours can not necessarily decrease productivity. If employees are refreshed can make less mistakes and if employees are tired they cannot make work properly also they decrease productivity. In my opinion there should be make shift for employees that operational activities can work properly in customer service sectors.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, which significantly impacts the development of ideas. While you clearly state your position in the introduction, the arguments are underdeveloped. For instance, the point about productivity is mentioned but lacks sufficient explanation or concrete evidence to support the claim. The response is too brief to fully explore the complexities of the topic, resulting in a superficial treatment of the prompt. To improve, you must expand your arguments with more detailed explanations and relevant examples to meet the length requirement and demonstrate a more thorough engagement with the task.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes mechanical. For example, the transition 'An addition work day off' is grammatically incorrect and awkward. The progression of ideas is somewhat disjointed because the supporting sentences are too brief to create a smooth flow. To improve, you should use a wider variety of linking words and phrases (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'in contrast') to connect your ideas more logically and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, unified focus.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for basic communication but lacks the range and precision required for a higher band score. You rely on repetitive phrasing, such as 'working hours' and 'employees'. There are also issues with word forms and collocations, such as 'should be reduce' (should be reduced) and 'make shift' (implement a shift system). To improve, try to incorporate more academic vocabulary and synonyms to avoid repetition. Focus on learning the correct collocations for professional contexts to enhance the sophistication of your writing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('employees has to deal') and incorrect verb forms ('should be reduce', 'cannot make work properly'). The sentence structures are relatively simple, and there is a lack of complex grammatical constructions. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence structure, particularly passive voice and modal verbs. Additionally, proofread your work to correct simple errors like missing articles or incorrect verb tenses, which will significantly improve the overall accuracy of your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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