Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

The number of working days per week should be reduced, and employees should be given more holidays. I strongly agree with this view.

One major reason why I support this idea is that a shorter working week can improve employees' work-life balance. This is because employees need sufficient time to maintain their relationships with their family and friends and pursue their personal interest. Having additional time away from work can help employees relax and spend quality time with their family and friends, which can help reduce stress.

For example, employees who have an additional holiday get more time to spend on their personal engagements and can participate in activities they enjoy. Consequently, they may return to work feeling more refreshed and motivated.

Another significant benefit of a shorter working week is that it can improve employee productivity. Although some people may argure that shorter work periods can increase workload and put additional pressure on the employees, well-rested workers are generally more efficient and productive.When a worker has sufficient time to recover from work related stress, they are more likely to concentrate on their responsibilties and make fewer mistakes. For example, an employe having fewer working days can manage sufficient time to concentrate over their shortcoming and improve it.

Therefore, reducing working hours improves productivity rather than reducing it.

In conclusion, i strongly believe that the working week should be shortened and employee should be given longer weekends, this would not only improve employees' work-life balance but also increase productivity and job satisfaction.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the task, presenting a clear position from the beginning to the end. The writer successfully outlines the main reasons for agreeing with the prompt, such as improving work-life balance and boosting productivity. Ideas are generally extended and supported, for instance, by explaining how reduced stress leads to better concentration and fewer mistakes. However, there is a slight tendency to over-generalise or repeat points across paragraphs, such as repeatedly mentioning family, friends, and stress relief without introducing entirely new dimensions of argument. While all core requirements are met and the main concepts are adequately explored, pushing this to a higher level would require more diverse sub-arguments and finer depth of analysis without cyclical repetition.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

There is a clear logical organisation and progression throughout the essay. The response follows a structured path from the introduction, through body paragraphs supporting work-life balance and productivity, to a clear conclusion. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well to guide the reader, employing connectors like 'One major reason', 'Consequently', and 'Another significant benefit'. Paragraphing is handled appropriately, with each body paragraph focusing on a distinct main idea. However, cohesion occasionally feels slightly mechanical, and referencing could be smoother in places. To achieve an even higher standard, the transitions between sentences could be integrated more fluidly to make the progression less predictable and more sophisticated.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The writer uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully communicating central ideas relating to employment, productivity, and stress. There are successful attempts to use less common vocabulary, such as 'work-life balance', 'engagements', and 'shortcoming'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice, collocation, and spelling, such as the spelling error 'argure' instead of 'argue', and slight awkwardness in phrasing such as 'manage sufficient time to concentrate over their shortcoming'. These minor lexical slips and occasional lack of precision mean the vocabulary control sits comfortably within a moderate range. A wider and more flexible variety of precise lexical items with strict stylistic control would be needed for a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating structures such as conditional concepts and subordinate clauses (e.g., 'When a worker has sufficient time to recover...'). There is a good foundation of grammar, but the text contains several errors in grammar and punctuation, including missing articles ('an employe having fewer working days'), uncapitalised pronouns ('i strongly believe'), and minor agreement issues. These errors persist throughout the text, though they rarely impede communication. The presence of these recurring non-systematic errors places the grammatical control at a solid intermediate level. Achieving a higher band would require a greater frequency of error-free complex sentences and more consistent punctuation control.

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.