Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-17

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 6.0)

There is an ongoing debate about the number of workdays in a week. Some people contend that the number of workdays should be less than the number of weekend days, while others hold the opposite view. However, I disagree with the view of a longer weekend than the working week, as longer weekends reduce employees' work efficiency.

Proponents believe that the weekend should be longer because they want to spend more free time than doing work. They argue that they should spend substantial time with their loved ones, and this could only be possible if they have a longer break from work. During this break, people prefer to arrange recreational trips with family and friends. Moreover, a heavy workload causes exhaustion, and people prefer to rest rather than work more. Individuals maintain the view that rest is essential for good physical and mental health. Consequently, people who prefer enjoyment and rest support this opinion.

On the other hand, I disagree with the view that weekends should be longer than the weekdays. From my perspective, a weekend should be two days, and people can spend those days with family and friends. However, the other four days of the week should be workdays. During a week, continuous work enhances consistency, so a long break disturbs the momentum of an employee. Additionally, it is also crucial for daily workers. For instance, people who work daily and earn money daily could also get benefit, because if the number of weekends is more than the number of weekdays, they would not be able to earn during the weekend. Hence, for all citizens, a greater number of working days should be provided.

To sum up, although a longer weekend has many benefits, I believe that the weekend should be shorter than the number of weekdays so that all people can benefit and people work with consistency.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The candidate addresses all parts of the task and presents a clear, consistent position throughout the essay. The introduction outlines both sides of the argument before stating the writer's stance. In the second paragraph, the student explores the counterargument well, mentioning reasons such as spending time with loved ones, enjoying recreational trips, and avoiding physical and mental exhaustion. The third paragraph develops the writer's perspective focusing on work consistency and the financial implications for daily wage earners. However, the prompt asks whether the working week should be shorter and workers should have a longer weekend (typically a four-day work week and three-day weekend). The student slightly misinterprets this by stating at the beginning that 'the number of workdays should be less than the number of weekend days' and then arguing for a standard two-day weekend. This minor confusion around the definition of a longer weekend limits the full development of the core prompt, placing the task achievement at a Band 6.5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response exhibits a coherent overall arrangement with clear progression of ideas from the introduction through the body paragraphs to the conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with distinct sections for the opposing view, the writer's perspective, and the summary. Cohesive devices are employed reasonably well, using words and phrases like 'However', 'Moreover', 'Consequently', 'On the other hand', and 'Additionally' to guide the reader. However, some referencing and transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive, such as the frequent repetition of 'disagree with the view' and 'people prefer'. Despite these minor flaws in cohesion, the logical flow is easy to follow throughout the text, satisfying the requirements for a Band 7.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate and generally appropriate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully communicating ideas about work-life balance, exhaustion, and consistency. Less common lexical items are attempted, such as 'recreational trips', 'continuous work', and 'momentum'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'the number of weekends is more than the number of weekdays' instead of referring to weekend days, and minor awkwardness like 'daily workers'. Spelling is generally accurate, and errors in word choice do not impede communication, aligning the response with the Band 6.0 descriptors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms. The candidate successfully uses complex structures with subordinating and coordinating conjunctions, such as 'Although a longer weekend has many benefits, I believe that...' and 'people who work daily and earn money daily could also get benefit'. There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, including 'could also get benefit' (should be 'benefit') and repetitive sentence structures in the body paragraphs. Punctuation is generally sound, and errors rarely impede communication, supporting a solid Band 6.0 performance.

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

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