Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-06

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 5.0)

It is often argued about the working week should be shorter and workers should have a longer weekend. While it is true that working week should be shorter. I firmly agree with the view about working week which should be shorten with several compelling reasons.

This essay will not only elaborate on my viewpoint but also provide relevant examples to support it.

Primarily, to commence with, one of the most significant reasons is that we get adequate amount of time to give to our children or family. This attributes in result of upbringing, affection, love and care. When the working week is longer it eventually will be hectic which causes stress. This clearly demonstrates that working week should be shorter.

Moreover, another crucial factor to consider is that if a working week cannot be made shorter then workers shall lessen the working hours. So, workers can tackle both working and household resposbilty.

In conclusion, although some may argue that working weeks should be shorter and workers should have a longer weekend. I entirely endorse it becuase of the reasons discussed above. Ultimately, I side with the view that working week should be shorter.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

The response sits at a lower level because it only partially addresses the task and suffers from a severe length penalty. Please note that the length requirement is NOT met: the response contains only 170 words, falling well short of the 250-word minimum, with 23 words copied directly from the prompt discounted. The student takes a clear position regarding shorter working weeks, but the ideas presented are quite limited and under-developed. For instance, the point regarding spending time with children is raised but lacks thorough extension and concrete examples. Instead of expanding the arguments, the writing relies on repetitive phrasing, such as reiterating that 'working week should be shorter' multiple times without adding substantial new sub-points.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The essay demonstrates some basic organisation, utilizing paragraph breaks to separate the introduction, body points, and conclusion. However, there is no clear overall progression of ideas, as the body paragraphs tend to loop back to the central thesis rather than building logically upon each other. Cohesive devices are used, but they are frequently mechanical, repetitive, or awkward, such as starting sentences with 'Primarily, to commence with,' or 'Moreover, another crucial factor to consider is that...'. Referencing is also occasionally unclear, making the flow somewhat choppy. To move to a higher level, the writer needs to employ a wider and more natural variety of transitional phrases and ensure each paragraph develops a distinct, smoothly linked sub-argument.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is limited and minimally adequate for expressing basic thoughts on the topic. The student makes noticeable word choice and word form errors that occasionally cause difficulty, such as 'working week should be shorten' (instead of shortened) and 'household resposbilty' (a spelling error for responsibility). There are also instances of awkward collocation, such as 'attributes in result of upbringing'. While the writer attempts some less common vocabulary items like 'compelling reasons' and 'entirely endorse', the frequent reliance on simple, repetitive words and persistent spelling slips restricts the range. To improve, the student needs to incorporate a broader array of precise lexical items and check word forms carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The grammatical range is limited, consisting primarily of simple sentences and repetitive complex structures that are frequently faulty. The student displays frequent errors in grammar and punctuation, particularly with verb forms, sentence fragments, and articles. For example, the opening sentence 'It is often argued about the working week should be shorter' exhibits incorrect prepositional usage and clause structure, and 'While it is true that working week should be shorter. I firmly agree...' incorrectly punctuates a dependent clause as a complete sentence. Subject-verb agreement and article omission also occur across the text. To achieve a higher band, the writer must demonstrate better control over complex sentence patterns and significantly reduce the frequency of basic grammatical errors.

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

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