Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-11

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)

In a working environment, majority of the employees would agree upon a condition of a longer weekend. However, this is not the case for all. Many people on the higher positions would deny such condition. In my opinion, the policy of working five days a week is sufficient enough to maintain the work-life balance as well as to reduce stress from a higher workload.

Many employees and their colleagues can not provide enough time to their families as they are working for eight or even ten hours a day at the companies. These affect their overall sense of belonging towards their family. Additionally, working for a longer duration can cause stress and anxiety among the employees. For instance, in India, many corporates work throughout the whole day and an employee has to make time for the same. This is quite stressful and can sometimes results in depression among individuals. These kinds of people would prefer a longer weekend, as a shorter working week would give them a break from their monotonous schedule and eventually spend enough time with their family members.

On the other side of the coin, many people on a higher authority would not allow a longer weekend. People who do business or run a company by themselves would suffer a major loss if they allow such condition. According to these kinds of people, work is the major priority. For example, a boss in a corporate office can not give a long weekend to subordinates, as it eventually reduces the productivity of the company and their employee may feel lethargic ultimately. In my opinion, work-life should be balanced. Working five days a week is sufficient to recover from the stress of the whole week and two days of the weekend help people to unwind their mind and rest for a while.

In conclusion, there are different perspectives of people about the number of working days, as per their differences in the position. In my opinion, the working pattern of five days a week is sufficient enough for employees to have a break from their busy routines. Additionally, it can also help in their overall well-being.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

Your position is clear: you consider a five-day working week sufficient, rather than supporting a shorter week. You address both sides by discussing employees’ family time and stress, then presenting employers’ concerns about productivity. The India example also helps make the discussion relevant. This meets the task well, but the support is uneven: the claim that a shorter week would reduce company productivity is asserted rather than explained, and the essay does not directly compare the likely benefits of a shorter week with its costs. To strengthen the response, develop each main reason with a clearer explanation or a specific example, and connect the counterargument more explicitly to your own position.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a coherent overall structure: an introduction states your view, two body paragraphs consider different perspectives, and the conclusion restates your position. Transitions such as “Additionally,” “For instance,” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the discussion. However, some linking is mechanical, particularly the repeated use of “In my opinion” and “Additionally,” and “On the other side of the coin” is a somewhat formulaic shift. A few references are also unclear: “These affect their overall sense of belonging” does not clearly identify what “These” refers to, while “make time for the same” is difficult to follow. Use more precise referencing and vary transitions by showing the actual relationship between ideas.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including “work-life balance,” “stress and anxiety,” “productivity,” and “monotonous schedule.” These choices communicate the main ideas, and you attempt some less common expressions. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “agree upon a condition,” “people on the higher positions,” “work throughout the whole day,” and “unwind their mind.” Repetition of “longer weekend” and “sufficient” also limits flexibility. Aim for more natural combinations and precise terms—for example, describe employees as “in senior positions” and say that a break helps them “relax and recharge.” These refinements would make the argument sound more fluent and controlled.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including clauses introduced by “as,” “if,” and “who,” and most of the meaning remains clear. Some sentences are handled effectively, such as the explanation that employees may lack time for their families because of long working hours. There are nevertheless some errors in articles, agreement, verb forms, and sentence construction. For example, “majority of the employees” needs an article, “These affect” has an unclear plural subject, and “can sometimes results” should use the base verb after “can.” The sentence beginning “These kinds of people would prefer…” also has an awkwardly connected result clause. Review agreement and modal-verb patterns, and check that each clause is grammatically complete.

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