Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-23
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)
There is a popular opinion as to whether workers should work for more days a week or they need more off days. I completely disagree with the statement of long weekends. Mainly because fewer working days in a week can cause financial difficulties for startups and also it lowers the monthly income of the workers.
Fewer working days in a week can create significant problems for new business. Startups have to work more in order to compete with their competitors, due to which they need workers working maximum days in a week to fulfil the requirements of the market. For instance, most of the tech startups work on time based projects, they have to deliver client orders on time to maintain their success rate on freelace platforms. As a result they need the maximum time of employees to complete projects.
However, working maximum days a week also benefits the employees. They get paid according to their working hours or working days of the month, so they can work more days in a month and get paid enough to fulfil their goals. For example, higher compensation can help individuals to afford their studies or buy their dream house and other essential things. As a result, workers can achieve their desired lifestyle which eventually leads to better performance in their work.
In conclusion, working maximum days a week benefits both employeer and employees. Businesses can achieve their targets on time due the the high working pace throughout the week and employes can get paid enough for their time. So overall its beneficial for both.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| 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 directly by taking a clear position against shorter working weeks. The main ideas regarding startup productivity and workers' income are relevant and supported with explanations and examples, such as tech startups and freelancing platforms. However, the development of ideas remains slightly limited and repetitive, with the core argument relying heavily on the financial benefits of working more days. While all parts of the task are addressed, the arguments could be extended further with broader societal or economic perspectives to reach a higher band. Overall, the performance aligns well with Band 6.0 descriptors for Task Achievement.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The essay presents a clear logical progression with a recognisable introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each body paragraph focusing on a distinct aspect (impact on businesses versus impact on employees). Cohesive devices are present, though some feel slightly mechanical or repetitive, such as 'For instance' and 'As a result'. Referencing is generally clear, but transitional links between sentences could be more varied and sophisticated. Overall, the coherence and cohesion meet the criteria for Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms such as 'financial difficulties', 'success rate', and 'higher compensation'. However, there are noticeable lexical errors and awkward collocations, such as 'long weekends' used in place of shorter working weeks, 'off days' instead of days off, and spelling mistakes like 'freelace' and 'employeer'. While these errors do not seriously impede communication, they restrict the score to Band 6.0, as attempts at less common vocabulary lack consistent precision.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating a reasonable command of grammar. Examples such as 'Startups have to work more in order to compete with their competitors, due to which they need workers...' show attempts at complex structures. However, there are several grammatical errors and punctuation lapses, such as missing articles ('new business') and awkward prepositional usage ('due the the high working pace'). These errors occasionally cause minor friction for the reader but rarely impede overall understanding, placing the response firmly at Band 6.0.
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