Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-27

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)

as a modern workplaces continue to evolve, there has been a vigorous debate over the structure of triditional five-day work week. Many argue that the reducing the number of working days and extended weekends can benefits both employers and employees. From my perspective, I strongly agree with this statement and I shall elaborate my school of thoughts in the forthcoming essay.

One of the most important reasons for implementing a shorter working week is the improvement it can bring to the work life balance. A brief work schedule provide employees with more time to relax and personal activities, which helps maintain their mental well-being. With extra day off each week, empolyees have more opportunities to persue their personal hobbies and spent quality time with their family and friends and participate in their child education activities which can help them to increase their family relationships. I was reading the newspaper the other day in which a news was reported that the 70% divorced happened in the last decade due to the lack of time partners give to eachother due to their unstable work-life balance. Extra weekend will provide employees not to burnout during the work and perform their task efficiently better with their will.

Beyond the aforementioned personal advantages, a reduced work week may result in economical benefits. As a workers enjoy more leisure days, companies may require to hire additional staff to sustain productivity, consequently creating job opportunities. This increase in job may reduce the unemployment rates in the labour market.

In conclusion, reducing the length of the workweek and extending the break period offer numerous benefits for employees, enhancing their quality of life. By promoting a better work-life balance and stimulating economic growth, shorter work days can lead to increased productivity and higher employee satisfaction.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses the prompt directly, taking a clear stance that a shorter working week and longer weekend are beneficial for both employees and employers. The position is maintained throughout the essay. Ideas are extended and supported, such as discussing work-life balance, mental well-being, and economic benefits like job creation. However, there is a tendency to over-generalise and include somewhat anecdotal or less formal supporting details, such as the unsourced statistic regarding divorces. Overall, all parts of the task are addressed with relevant ideas that are sufficiently developed, fitting the criteria for Band 6.5 or a solid Band 7.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay presents a clear logical organisation with an introduction, body paragraphs addressing distinct points (well-being and economic benefits), and a clear conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate ideas. Cohesive devices are used throughout, though some links feel slightly mechanical or repetitive, such as 'One of the most important reasons' and 'Beyond the aforementioned personal advantages'. Referencing is generally clear, though minor shifts in cohesion occasionally show awkward transitions. Progression is maintained throughout the text, aligning well with the Band 6 descriptors.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common lexical items such as 'vigorous debate', 'well-being', and 'unemployment rates'. However, there are notable word choice, collocation, and spelling errors throughout the text, such as 'triditional' instead of traditional, 'empolyees', 'persue', 'spent' instead of spend, and 'economical' instead of economic. While these errors do not severely impede communication, they restrict the lexical score. The range is sufficient to allow flexibility, but the recurring inaccuracies prevent it from reaching a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating relative clauses and conditional-like phrasing (e.g., 'As workers enjoy more leisure days, companies may require...'). However, there are frequent grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, including 'as a modern workplaces', 'that the reducing the number', 'provide employees' instead of provides, 'a news was reported that the 70% divorced happened', and 'provide employees not to burnout'. Punctuation is generally okay, but sentence control fluctuates, leading to grammatical slips that occasionally distract the reader.

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