Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-01

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 employees should work fewer hours and have a longer weekend. I agree with this idea because a shorter working week can improve people's health and may also increase their productivity.

Firstly, working fewer hours can give employees more time to rest and spend with their families. Many workers have busy schedules from Monday to Friday, and they may feel tired by the end of the week. Having a longer weekend would allow them to relax properly and take part in activities such as sports, travelling or meeting friends. As a result, workers may have a better balance between their professional and personal lives.

Secondly, shorter working hours could improve productivity. When people work for a very long time, they can become tired and lose concentration. This may lead to mistakes and lower-quality work. On the other hand, employees who have enough time to rest may return to work feeling more energetic and focused. For example, if a company changes from a five-day working week to a four-day week without greatly reducing salaries, workers may be more motivated to complete their tasks efficiently.

However, a shorter working week may not be suitable for every type of job. Hospitals, restaurants and other services need workers throughout the week, so companies would need to organise shifts carefully.

In conclusion, I believe that a shorter working week and a longer weekend can have positive effects on workers' well-being and productivity. Although some industries may face difficulties, these problems can be managed through proper planning and shift arrangements.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The response addresses all parts of the task effectively, presenting a clear position throughout the essay. The writer agrees that the working week should be shorter and successfully extends and supports this viewpoint with relevant ideas. For instance, the discussion on employee health and well-being in the second paragraph is well supported by specific examples of activities such as sports, travelling, or meeting friends. Similarly, the third paragraph extends the argument regarding productivity by explaining the psychological effects of fatigue versus proper rest and providing a logical scenario involving a four-day work week. Furthermore, the writer demonstrates a nuanced understanding of the topic by acknowledging a counterargument regarding essential services in the fourth paragraph, which prevents the over-generalisation typically found at lower bands. To move towards the highest band, the ideas could be developed with even greater depth and nuance, perhaps by incorporating broader economic or sociological perspectives on modern labor trends.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5

The essay displays a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct central topic, starting with a well-defined introduction, moving through two main body paragraphs supporting the writer's stance, addressing a counterargument, and concluding effectively. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' are used flexibly to guide the reader through the argument. Pronoun referencing and substitution are managed well, ensuring that links between sentences are maintained smoothly. Paragraphing is used logically and appropriately to separate distinct phases of the argument. To achieve an even higher band, the use of cohesive devices could be made slightly more sophisticated and less reliant on standard transition markers, allowing cohesion to flow even more unobtrusively.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task and provides sufficient range for some flexibility and precision. The writer successfully incorporates less common items and functional phrases related to the topic, such as 'professional and personal lives', 'well-being', and 'shift arrangements'. Word choice is generally appropriate, and spelling and word formation are accurate throughout the text, ensuring that communication is never impeded. However, the lexical range remains somewhat safe and standard, lacking the more sophisticated, idiomatic, or less common lexical items that characterise higher band levels. To reach the next band, the writer should incorporate a wider variety of precise collocations and more nuanced academic vocabulary, moving beyond straightforward descriptors like 'positive effects' or 'busy schedules'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.5

The response demonstrates a good variety of complex structures and maintains frequent error-free sentences throughout. The writer shows good control of grammar and punctuation, successfully employing conditional clauses and modal verbs, such as in the sentence 'if a company changes from a five-day working week to a four-day week without greatly reducing salaries, workers may be more motivated'. Verb forms, tenses, subject-verb agreement, and articles are handled accurately across the text. While a few minor structural patterns are kept relatively straightforward, the overall control of grammar is solid, with errors being virtually absent. To sustain a higher band consistently, the writer could experiment with a broader array of sophisticated syntactic structures, such as inversion or more advanced participial phrases, while maintaining this high level of accuracy.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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