Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-29
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)
Some people believe that the working week should be shorter and weekend should be extended for the employees. I firmly agree because people will have a better balance between their work and life and mental health of employees will also improve.
The major reason why longer weekend should be promoted is that workers will have a better work-life balance. Many people feel exhausted due to long working hours and short leaves on weekend. People manage their household chores, spend time with their friends and family and be physically fit along with their job, which is why they have no stable work-life balance. For example, a long weekend can help employees relax and enjoy time with their loved ones, and work efficiently throughout the working week. As a result, it helps them manage both, job and personal life.
Another reason is that the mental health of employees will improve due to less stress and workload in the office environment. Working for 9-10 hours a day for entire week often makes a person feel tired. A long weekend can help them recover from the stress and workload in the working environment. For example, studies show that the companies who have implemented the idea of long weekend have less employees with mental health problems compared to the companies with shorter weekend. This proves that shorter working weeks helps worker in improving their mental health.
In conclusion, I agree with the promotion of shorter working weeks and longer weekends for employees as it provides better work-life balance and also helps improve their mental health.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.5 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0
Your position is clear from the opening—“I firmly agree”—and remains consistent in the conclusion. You address the prompt with two relevant reasons: improved work–life balance and better mental health. Both are explained, and the examples about time with loved ones and companies adopting longer weekends help support your argument. This meets the task well. However, some support is general rather than fully developed: the claim that longer weekends improve efficiency, for instance, is asserted without explaining how that benefit follows, and the reference to studies gives no detail about their findings or context. Develop one example more specifically and clarify the link between shorter working weeks and the outcomes you identify.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0
The response is organised clearly, with an introduction, two focused body paragraphs and a conclusion. Each body paragraph begins with a reason, then explains it and adds an example, so the reader can follow the progression of your argument. Linking expressions such as “For example,” “As a result,” and “Another reason” are generally used effectively. Some connections are less smooth: the list of household chores, socialising and fitness is followed by “which is why,” but the relationship between these activities and an unstable work–life balance could be made more explicit. The repeated “For example” structure also makes the development somewhat predictable. Use a wider range of transitions and clearer references to connect each explanation to its main point.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “work-life balance,” “household chores,” “workload” and “mental health,” and your meaning remains clear throughout. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “promoted” and “implemented.” However, some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or repetitive. “Short leaves on weekend” is not a natural way to describe limited time off, while “less employees” should be expressed with a countable form. “Working environment” and “long weekend” recur without much variation. Aim for more precise combinations such as “limited weekend time off” and “workplace stress,” and vary repeated terms where appropriate. These refinements would make the vocabulary more natural and flexible.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including reason clauses with “because,” relative clauses with “which is why,” and result clauses beginning “As a result.” Most sentences communicate your ideas clearly, and errors rarely obstruct understanding. Some grammatical inaccuracies remain. For example, “weekend should be extended” needs an article, and “shorter working weeks helps worker” has subject–verb agreement and singular/plural problems. In “People manage … and be physically fit,” the verb forms in the list are not parallel. The sentence beginning “For example, studies show” also needs a clearer grammatical construction around the comparison between companies. Review articles, agreement and parallel structures, while continuing to use varied sentence patterns.
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