Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-25

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)

The traditional five-day working week, with its accompanying two-day weekend, has come under increasing scrutiny as workloads intensify across almost every professional field. While this schedule suits some employees, I firmly agree that a shorter working week with a longer weekend would benefit the majority of workers, and I will explain why below.

The primary reason is that current working patterns frequently fail to protect employees' personal time, regardless of the official schedule. In many IT companies, for example, staff are routinely required to work through weekends to resolve client issues, meaning the theoretical two-day break rarely translates into genuine rest. A shorter working week would build in a buffer against this kind of encroachment, ensuring employees retain time for family, health and personal interests even when unexpected work demands arise.

Furthermore, shorter working weeks have been shown to improve productivity rather than diminish it. When companies such as Microsoft Japan trialled a four-day week, they reported a substantial rise in output per employee, suggesting that reduced hours can sharpen focus and reduce the fatigue-related errors common in overworked staff. This indicates that an extra day of rest need not come at the cost of organizational performance — indeed, it may enhance it.

Admittedly, some argue that reduced working hours could disadvantage industries reliant on continuous service, such as healthcare or emergency response, where staffing gaps cannot simply be absorbed. However, this concern applies to specific sectors rather than the workforce as a whole, and such industries already operate on shift systems that could be adapted rather than used as grounds to reject reform more broadly.

In conclusion, I strongly believe that shortening the working week would better protect employees' work-life balance without compromising productivity. Governments and organizations should therefore give serious consideration to trialling reduced schedules more widely.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The response fully addresses all parts of the prompt by taking a clear and well-substantiated position on whether the working week should be shortened. The writer presents a thoughtful introduction, supports the stance with relevant examples such as Microsoft Japan's trial, and acknowledges counterarguments regarding essential services like healthcare. The ideas are extended and supported appropriately throughout the essay. The position is maintained consistently from the introduction to the concluding paragraph, demonstrating a sophisticated understanding of the prompt and fulfilling all requirements of Band 8.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5

Ideas are logically sequenced, guiding the reader smoothly through the writer's line of reasoning. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, with each paragraph focusing on a distinct central topic, such as personal time, productivity, and counterarguments. Cohesive devices are managed well without being overly mechanical, using appropriate transitions such as 'Furthermore' and 'Admittedly'. Referencing is clear throughout the text, ensuring that information and ideas are presented in a coherent and easily digestible format, fully meeting the criteria for a Band 8 performance.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The writer demonstrates a wide and flexible vocabulary range suited to an academic discussion. Less common items such as 'encroachment', 'organizational performance', and 'continuous service' are used naturally and accurately. Word choices and collocations are generally precise, for example, 'fatigue-related errors' and 'workloads intensify'. Although there are minor areas where vocabulary could be even more elevated, the range is fully sufficient for flexibility and precision, easily satisfying the descriptors for Band 7.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.5

The response displays a wide variety of complex sentence structures, including conditional and participial clauses like 'meaning the theoretical two-day break rarely translates' and 'suggesting that reduced hours can sharpen focus'. The majority of sentences are error-free, and control over grammar and punctuation is strong throughout. The writer handles complex syntactic structures with ease, and there are only rare, minor slips. This high level of structural variety and accuracy places the essay firmly in the Band 8 category.

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