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)
In today's world everyone is busy working to suffice for their family and self needs. Some people believe that the average working week for work should be shorter, and the employees should be given even longer weekends, while other oppose this notion. In this essay I will discuss this point and give my views at the end, whether the working week should be shortened or not.
On the one hand, some people belive that the current working week is too much for the average employee, and should be shortened. They argue that the working sector deserves to spend more time with their loved ones. This would reduce the stress to the average human mind, and may lead to even more productivity. This would also help preserve the resources for transportation people use to everyday jobs, and reduce pollution in both rural and urban areas. Furthermore, they believe that spending more time with family would help strengthen the relationships. This could also have positive impacts on the economy, people with longer weekends could enjoy visiting their country heritage and boost tourism.
On the other hand, people argue that the current working week should remain as is, and is in the best possible position it could be in. They argue that this would make the average worker more lazy. A decrease in the working week means that the salaries would be reduced as well. This would be an even greater problem for those who are already not satisfied with their pay. The projects would require more time for completion than before, the economies could get disturbed for this exact reason as well. There would be an even larger burden on the average worker to either complete the tasks in a much shorter time or to put even more hours for the available days.
In conclusion, there may be advantages or disadvantages to shortening the working week and increasing the weekend. I believe that the week should be shortened and the weekend should be shortened for the workers. This may cause to lower salaries or increased burdens, but spending more time with family is a more plus point.
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 student addresses all parts of the task, discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of shortening the working week, and presents a clear position in the conclusion by stating, 'I believe that the week should be shortened and the weekend should be shortened for the workers' (though 'weekend should be shortened' appears to be a slight slip for lengthened, the overall intent is clear). Ideas are relevant and supported with arguments regarding productivity, stress, stress on economy, and family relationships. However, some ideas lack deep extension and tend to generalise slightly. Overall, the response meets the requirements for Band 6.5, leaning towards Band 7 due to clear positioning and coverage, but is adequately captured at Band 6.0 as some supporting points remain somewhat general and brief.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is logically organised into a four-paragraph structure: introduction, two body paragraphs representing opposing views, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' are used appropriately to guide the reader through the text. However, referencing and progression are occasionally mechanical, and some transitions feel abrupt. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, maintaining a coherent overall arrangement. This aligns well with the Band 6 descriptors where the organization is logical overall, though cohesion can sometimes feel repetitive or formulaic.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms like 'productivity', 'heritage', and 'disadvantages'. There are some awkward phrasings and word choice errors, such as 'suffice for their family and self needs', 'working sector' instead of 'workforce', and 'a more plus point' instead of 'a major advantage'. Spelling is generally accurate, but some collocations are unnatural. Despite these inaccuracies, communication is never impeded, fitting the criteria for Band 6.0 where the vocabulary is adequate for the task and attempts at less common items show mixed success.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over relative clauses and conditional structures. However, there are noticeable grammatical errors and awkward phrasing throughout the essay, such as 'reduce the stress to the average human mind', 'people with longer weekends could enjoy visiting', and a contradiction in the conclusion ('week should be shortened and the weekend should be shortened'). Punctuation is generally fine, but grammatical slips recur frequently enough to prevent the score from reaching Band 7. The majority of sentences are understandable, placing this firmly in the Band 6 category.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.