Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · 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 8.0)

It is often argued that the working week should be shortened so that employees can enjoy a longer weekend. I strongly agree with this view because reducing working hours can improve employees’ well-being, and can also enhance productivity.

The primary reason for supporting a shorter working week is that it can improve people’s physical and mental well-being. Working for long hours, particularly in demanding jobs, can leave employees exhausted and reduce the amount of time they have for exercise, family and other personal activities. A longer weekend would give workers more opportunities to rest and recover, which could help them return to work with greater energy. For example, an employee who has three days away from work could use the additional day to spend time with family, pursue hobbies or simply recover from a demanding week.

Another important advantage is that fewer working hours do not necessarily mean lower productivity. When employees are well-rested, they may be more focused and efficient during their working hours. In contrast, excessively long working schedules can lead to fatigue, stress and reduced concentration, resulting in mistakes and wasted time. Some organisations that have experimented with reduced working hours have found that employees can maintain or even improve their output when working time is used more efficiently. Therefore, the quality of work may be more important than the number of hours spent at the workplace.

Admittedly, a shorter working week could create difficulties for some businesses, particularly those that depend on continuous customer service or fixed operating hours. However, this problem could be addressed through flexible schedules, shifts and staggered days off rather than simply closing workplaces for an additional day. In this way, employees could benefit from longer weekends without seriously disrupting essential services.

In conclusion, I strongly agree that the working week should be shorter and weekends longer. Provided that working hours are organised efficiently, this change could improve employees’ quality of life while maintaining, and potentially enhancing, workplace productivity.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 8.0

The response covers all parts of the task extremely well, presenting a clear and fully developed position from the introduction through to the conclusion. The writer takes a strong stand in agreement with the prompt and sustains this viewpoint throughout the essay. Ideas are well supported with logical reasoning and relevant examples, such as how an employee might spend an additional day away from work to recover or pursue hobbies. The consideration of counterarguments regarding businesses that depend on continuous customer service adds depth and sophistication to the discussion, demonstrating a thorough understanding of the topic's complexities. The arguments are extended naturally without any noticeable omissions or irrelevant tangents, satisfying all requirements of the task with precision and thoroughness.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 8.0

Ideas are logically sequenced, ensuring a smooth and natural progression throughout the essay. The response is divided into appropriate paragraphs, with each body paragraph focusing on a distinct central theme, such as personal well-being, productivity, and business challenges. Cohesive devices are managed skilfully and unobtrusively, using transition phrases like 'The primary reason', 'Another important advantage', and 'In contrast' to guide the reader seamlessly from one point to the next. Referencing and substitution are handled with accuracy, ensuring that pronouns and demonstratives clearly link back to their intended antecedents. There is no mechanical or repetitive use of cohesive markers, contributing to an overall sense of fluency and structural clarity.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.5

The writer demonstrates a wide, fluent, and flexible resource of vocabulary, utilizing less common lexical items with appropriate awareness of style and collocation. Expressions such as 'demanding jobs', 'continuous customer service', and 'staggered days off' are used naturally and precisely. Word choice and phrasing are generally very accurate, with only occasional minor slips that do not impede communication. The control over word formation and spelling is strong throughout, and the student successfully employs a varied range of vocabulary pertinent to the academic context of workplace management and employee well-being, elevating the overall quality of the writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 8.0

A wide range of complex sentence structures is used flexibly and accurately throughout the response. The majority of sentences are error-free, reflecting a high level of grammatical control. The writer successfully incorporates conditional structures, modal verbs, and subordinate clauses, as seen in sentences like 'Provided that working hours are organised efficiently, this change could improve employees’ quality of life'. Verb forms, tenses, subject-verb agreement, and articles are handled with a high degree of precision. Punctuation is accurate, and any minor slips are extremely rare and do not interfere with readability or the intended meaning of the complex arguments presented.

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