Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · 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 7.5)

It is often argued that the traditional five-day working week should be reduced to give employees an extra day off. I largely agree with this view, mainly because of the productivity and wellbeing benefits it offers, although I accept that certain sectors would struggle to implement it.

The strongest argument in favour of a shorter week is that it tends to increase, rather than decrease, output per hour worked. Numerous companies that have trialled four-day weeks report that employees compress the same volume of work into fewer days by cutting unnecessary meetings and minimising distractions, since they know their free time depends on finishing efficiently. Microsoft Japan, for example, moved to a four-day week in 2019 and recorded a productivity increase of around 40 percent, alongside lower electricity and printing costs. This suggests that the standard five-day structure is not necessarily optimal for output, but rather a historical convention left over from industrial-era labour patterns.

A second reason is the impact on physical and mental health. An additional day off gives workers more time to exercise, sleep adequately, and attend to family or medical needs that are otherwise squeezed into two rushed weekend days. Chronic overwork is strongly linked to burnout, anxiety, and cardiovascular problems, all of which raise long-term healthcare costs and increase staff turnover. A healthier, less exhausted workforce is ultimately more sustainable for employers than one running at constant capacity.

However, a shorter week is not equally practical across all industries. Sectors that depend on continuous coverage, such as healthcare, emergency services, and manufacturing lines, cannot simply remove a working day without hiring additional staff to fill the gap, which raises operating costs. In such cases, a shorter week is achievable only through staggered shift systems rather than a blanket policy, meaning implementation is more complex than in office-based or knowledge-work industries.

In conclusion, I agree that reducing the working week benefits most employees and employers alike through higher productivity and improved health, though the policy needs sector-specific adjustment rather than uniform application.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The response fully addresses all parts of the task by clearly taking a stance ('I largely agree with this view') and supporting it with well-developed arguments regarding productivity, health benefits, and necessary industrial exceptions. The position is maintained cohesively throughout the essay. Ideas are extended effectively, such as in the second paragraph where the writer cites Microsoft Japan's 2019 trial to substantiate the claim regarding output per hour worked. The counterargument regarding shift-based industries is also handled adeptly, demonstrating a nuanced understanding of the prompt. The response meets all the requirements of Band 8 for Task Achievement, offering a fully developed and well-supported discussion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5

Ideas are logically sequenced with a clear overarching progression from the introduction, through two supporting body paragraphs and a counterargument paragraph, to a neat conclusion. Each paragraph has a clear central topic, such as the focus on physical and mental health in the third paragraph. Cohesive devices are managed skilfully and unobtrusively (e.g., 'The strongest argument', 'A second reason', 'However', 'In conclusion'). Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct themes. Referencing throughout the essay is clear, ensuring smooth transitions between sentences and ideas, comfortably fulfilling the requirements for a Band 8 score.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.5

The student displays a wide, fluent, and flexible lexical range suitable for an academic response. Less common vocabulary items and collocations are used skilfully and naturally, such as 'historical convention', 'industrial-era labour patterns', 'Chronic overwork', and 'blanket policy'. Word choices are precise, and there are virtually no inaccuracies in collocation or spelling. While it stops just short of the effortless, sophisticated control seen at Band 9, the vocabulary is rich and allows for fluent expression, easily securing a Band 8.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.5

The response exhibits a wide range of complex grammatical structures used with a high degree of accuracy. The majority of sentences are error-free, and complex constructions—such as concessive clauses ('although I accept that certain sectors would struggle...') and participial phrases ('minimising distractions, since they know...')—are handled with strong control. Punctuation is accurate, and minor slips are virtually absent. The control over grammar and syntax easily matches the Band 8 descriptor where the majority of sentences are error-free and control is sustained.

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