Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-28

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 6.0)

In the contemporary era, it is argued that working long hours is necessary to meet professional demands and increase productivity. While some people believe that working in smarter way in weekdays is essential for economic growth, I vehemently believe that the working week should be shortened and employees should be given a longer weekend, as this can improve work-life balance, mental well-being and overall productivity.

The primary advantage of a shorter working week is that it can significantly improve employees physical and mental well-being. Working continuously for long hours can lead to stress, exhaustion and unable to maintain balance between professional and personal life. People cannot enjoy their hobbies, do not spend quality time with their families and personal responsiblities. A longer weekend would provide more opportunities for workers namely escape from the hustle and bustle of city life, pursue their hobbies, exercise, rest and spend quality time with their loved ones. For instance, some countries such as UK and Switzerland offer workers only work on the weekday and they also provide an additional day off to rejuvenate from work pressure. Consequently, a better work-life balance could contribute to greater job satisfaction.

Another significant reason for reducing working hours is that productivity does not depend on working hours. People with good well-being concentrate more on their work; they can focus on intricate details with accuracy and efficiency. In contrast, excessive working hours can cause fatigue, which may reduce creativity and the quality of decision-making. For instance, the UN reported that increased productivity when they worked four-day.

In conclusion, working long hours should increase practical skills and knowledge, but working only weekdays directly impact on people's well-being, mental health, reduce stress levels and increase creativity and productivity.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response clearly addresses the task by taking a firm, well-developed position that the working week should be shortened to improve work-life balance and productivity. The writer covers all parts of the prompt with relevant main ideas. For instance, the first body paragraph successfully argues the physical and mental health benefits of a longer weekend, while the second explores the relationship between well-being and productivity. Although some supporting evidence is slightly generalized or lacks specific precision—such as the vague reference to the UK and Switzerland offering workers only work on the weekday, or the incomplete citation regarding the UN—the overall position is maintained clearly and extended throughout the essay. This performance aligns well with the requirements for a Band 7.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a clear logical organization and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct central topic, starting with an introductory stance, moving through well-structured body arguments regarding health and productivity, and finishing with a concise conclusion. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, such as 'While some people', 'The primary advantage', and 'In contrast'. However, there are minor cohesion and referencing flaws, such as the abrupt and slightly confusing transition in the final conclusion ('working long hours should increase practical skills and knowledge, but working only weekdays directly impact...'). Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, ensuring the overall progression remains clear to the reader, securing a solid Band 7.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow some flexibility and precision, employing appropriate terms such as 'contemporary era', 'work-life balance', 'hustle and bustle', and 'intricate details'. Less common lexical items are attempted with varying degrees of success. However, there are notable word choice and collocation errors that prevent a higher score, such as 'working in smarter way' (missing article and awkward phrasing), 'employees physical' (missing apostrophe), and 'responsible' used as a noun form 'responsiblities' (spelling error). Furthermore, terms like 'offer workers only work on the weekday' sound unnatural. Despite these occasional inaccuracies, the vocabulary is adequate for the task and communication is never impeded, fitting the Band 6 descriptors comfortably.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses, conditional ideas, and participial phrases (e.g., 'People with good well-being concentrate more on their work; they can focus on intricate details with accuracy and efficiency'). However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are several noticeable errors, including awkward verb forms and parallel structure issues, such as 'stress, exhaustion and unable to maintain' (mixing nouns and an adjective phrase), missing prepositions, and subject-verb agreement errors like 'working only weekdays directly impact on people's well-being' (should be impacts). Additionally, 'increased productivity when they worked four-day' lacks a main verb. Because these errors persist across complex sentences, a Band 6 is appropriate.

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.