Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-01

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people say that the only reason for learning a foreign language is in order to travel to or work in a foreign country. Others say that these are not the only reasons why someone should learn a foreign language.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 5.0)

he working week should be shorter and workers should have a longer weekend.

For employees, few things are more crucial than having a shorter working week and a longer weekend.

In many developed and developing countries, a substantial amount of effort and resources is devoted to

improving workforce management, as it often necessitates the use of various resources, such as skilled

workers, professional training, and effective workplace policies. Nowadays, many would agree that

contemporary society has nearly transcended its traditional boundaries and will soon become boundless

in its pursuit of a shorter working week and a longer weekend for the well-being of workers.

Nevertheless, I firmly believe that the working week should indeed be shorter, allowing employees to

enjoy a longer weekend.

Naturally, shorter working weeks together with longer weekends, in the form of mental and physical

relief, are considered essential for employees, creating invaluable opportunities for a healthier lifestyle

that are not readily available from other sources. Moreover, this approach demonstrates unparalleled

benefits for workers, permeating and enhancing almost every conceivable sector of society. Since

employees seek adequate rest, quality family time, and improved well-being through a shorter working

week and a longer weekend, greater emphasis on flexible working arrangements is imperative to

elevate modern living standards. If this policy is adopted by governments and organizations alike, many

workers stand to benefit significantly. Shorter working weeks with longer weekends in nations such as

Denmark and Norway, for instance, have emerged as pivotal models for promoting a healthier work–life

balance, delivering enhanced quality of life for their employees.

Under certain circumstances, employers may shy away from implementing shorter working weeks and

longer weekends due to a range of challenges, such as concerns over reduced productivity, financial

constraints, workforce shortages, technological barriers, fear of lower profitability, and limited

institutional support. While shorter working weeks with longer weekends are widely embraced in many

major cities worldwide, companies in impoverished and developing nations frequently contend with

profound financial limitations and difficult economic conditions when striving to adopt this approach.

Therefore, the notion of providing employees with a shorter working week and a longer weekend is not

always appealing. From economic, social, and national perspectives, if the health and well-being of

workers are regarded as not merely desirable but imperative, governments and employers may choose

to embrace this policy.

However, it is the responsibility of governments and organizations to evaluate the role of shorter

working weeks and longer weekends and determine whether implementing this policy will do more

good than harm. Thus, it is evident that encouraging a shorter working week together with a longer

weekend for employees is beneficial.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

The response is largely off-topic. The prompt explicitly asks you to discuss the reasons for learning a foreign language, specifically whether it is only for travel and work or if there are other reasons, and to give your own opinion. However, your essay entirely discusses whether the working week should be shorter and workers should have a longer weekend. Because you failed to address the actual prompt provided, the response receives a very low score for this criterion. To improve, you must carefully read the task instructions and ensure your central arguments directly answer the specific question asked.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

You demonstrate some organisation with clear paragraph breaks and basic linking devices, such as 'Moreover', 'Therefore', and 'However'. However, because the essay is entirely about a different topic, the logical progression is disconnected from the prompt. Cohesive devices are sometimes used mechanically, and referencing does not always guide the reader through a relevant argument. To achieve a higher band, you need to ensure that your ideas are logically sequenced around the actual essay prompt, creating a seamless and relevant flow of information from the introduction through the body paragraphs to the conclusion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You display an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common and academic lexical items such as 'contemporary society', 'transcended', 'unprecedented', and 'institutional support'. There are some successful word choices and collocations, though a few terms are used repetitively or slightly out of context, such as 'pervading and enhancing almost every conceivable sector'. Spelling and word-form errors are minimal and do not impede communication. To reach the next band, you should aim for greater precision and flexibility in your word choices, using less common vocabulary more naturally and avoiding repetitive phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and conditional structures, such as 'If this policy is adopted by governments and organizations alike, many workers stand to benefit significantly.' There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, but they are relatively infrequent and rarely impede communication. The majority of your sentences are structurally sound. To push into higher bands, you need to increase your repertoire of complex structures while maintaining a high degree of accuracy across all sentence types, ensuring even better control over punctuation and syntactic variety.

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

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