Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-29

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)

Concerns are increasingly being raised regarding the employment sector, with many arguing that a reduced workweek should be promoted over long working hours that often cause job dissatisfaction. While others contend that extended working hours offer greater financial compensation, I firmly believe that shorter working periods enhance job performance and allow employees to maintain a better work-life balance.

The most compelling reason for my position is that shorter working days per week will boost job perfomance and satisfaction of an employee, furthermore, staff will experience reduction in stress and less pressure in work environment. This is primarily because of reducing the number of days per week, leading towards better job opportunities thus minimzing the risk of potential health problems. In other words, reduction of working days and having longer weekend can substantially boost personal growth of staff members, allowing them to involve with their families and spend quality time with them, for example. Therefore, it is evident that longer holidays and vacation encourage employees to stay longer with one company rather than switching jobs frequently.

Another contributing factor to consider is that companies who pay more salary for longer working weeks may have only one benefit of having more money than others but on negative side it causes significant impact on the profile of an employee, increasing stress and anxiety to have assignment or project done on time, if not will have to face consequences in terms of lower wage or termination. Although smart work environment must be promoted, as a result, it will have considerable number of positive effects on growth and satisfaction. For instance, Petrochina employees given 3 days of weekend and then they comeup with brilliant creative ideas for upcoming projects and resolve various issues within few hours, thus making them more productive. Hence this further support the idea that companies must pay attention to their employees health.

In conclusion, although there are differing views on this issue, i strongly believe that employees must have around three holidays per week for their enjoyment and leisure activities. This is because it is important for their personal well-being and companies should care for them. For this reason shorter weeks should be carefully considered.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by taking a clear and well-developed position on whether working weeks should be shortened. The writer presents relevant arguments regarding job performance, stress reduction, work-life balance, and company benefits, supported by examples such as the mention of Petrochina. The ideas are extended, although some supporting points in the second and third paragraphs tend to run on into lengthy, complex sentences that slightly obscure the core argument. Nevertheless, the main position is maintained consistently throughout the essay, satisfying the requirements for a Band 7.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay displays a clear logical organisation with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are employed to connect ideas, such as "The most compelling reason," "Another contributing factor," and "In conclusion." However, there are some issues with referencing and run-on sentences that make the flow mechanical in places, particularly in the second paragraph where multiple ideas are linked by commas rather than full stops or appropriate conjunctions. Paragraphing is used adequately to separate distinct points, but internal cohesion within paragraphs could be tighter. This performance aligns well with the Band 6.0 descriptors.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common lexical items such as "financial compensation," "work-life balance," and "well-being." There are some instances of inaccurate word choice or awkward phrasing, such as "perfomance" (spelling error) and "have only one benefit of having more money than others." While the writer manages to communicate their ideas effectively, the minor spelling slips and occasional unnatural collocations prevent the lexical score from reaching higher bands. The vocabulary is sufficient for Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The essay exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts at subordination and relative clauses. However, there are notable grammatical inaccuracies and punctuation issues, such as comma splices (e.g., connecting independent clauses with commas instead of periods or semicolons) and missing articles (e.g., "in work environment" instead of "in the work environment"). Verbs are occasionally misused, such as "employees given 3 days of weekend and then they comeup." While these errors do not impede overall communication, their frequency prevents the essay from achieving a Band 7.0. A score of 6.0 reflects this mix of structures and persistent errors.

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