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User-written IELTS example

Writing Academic Task 2 Band 9.0 Example

Original task prompt, user essay, band score, and related examples in the same report workspace.

308 words AcademicTask 2
Task 2

Illustrative target band for this original model answer.

Plan your answer

Try your own response before reading the samples.

Ideas to explore

  • A longer weekend can provide time for rest, relationships, childcare, and personal interests.
  • Reducing unnecessary meetings and clarifying priorities may help teams use working hours more efficiently.
  • Continuous-staffing workplaces may need staggered shifts or a trial period to protect service coverage.

Suggested structure

  1. Introduce the proposal in your own words and state your position clearly.
  2. Explain how a shorter week could benefit workers’ wellbeing and personal responsibilities.
  3. Show how employers might benefit through more focused working practices.
  4. Acknowledge a practical limitation, such as the need for continuous staffing, and suggest a feasible response.
  5. Conclude by restating your position with the condition that implementation should be planned.
Useful vocabulary & examples
adequate recovery
enough time to rest and regain energy

Adequate recovery may help employees return to work with better focus.

operational coverage
having enough staff available to keep a service or workplace functioning

Careful shift planning can maintain operational coverage during a shorter week.

workload compression
fitting the same amount of work into a shorter period

Workload compression could increase pressure if tasks are not prioritised.

staggered shifts
work schedules arranged at different times so staff coverage is maintained

Staggered shifts may help a service operate throughout the week.

Task Prompt

The working week should be shorter and workers should have a longer weekend. DO you agree or disagree?

User Essay Analysis

Review the public answer with report-style highlights.

Band 9.0

In today’s rapidly evolving society, individuals are compelled to engage in work to sustain their livelihoods. A pertinent discourse has emerged concerning the proposition that employees should benefit from extended weekends accompanied by a shortened workweek to establish a better equilibrium between their professional responsibilities and personal lives. I unequivocally endorse this perspective. Contemporary workers often face growing workloads, lengthy commutes, and pressure to remain available outside office hours. A shorter working week would give them more time to rest, maintain relationships, and meet responsibilities such as childcare. This is not merely a lifestyle benefit: adequate recovery can help people return to work with greater focus, while reducing the risk that persistent fatigue undermines their wellbeing.

First, a shorter week can also encourage more efficient working practices. When time is limited, teams may become more deliberate about setting priorities, reducing unnecessary meetings, and completing essential tasks during working hours. If work is organised effectively, employees could maintain or even improve the quality of their output while spending fewer hours at work. This arrangement may therefore benefit employers as well as staff by supporting motivation and reducing burnout.

Moreover, a longer weekend gives people time to pursue interests and spend time with family and friends. These activities contribute to a more satisfying life outside work, which should not be treated as unimportant simply because it is difficult to measure in financial terms.

Admittedly, shorter weeks may be harder to introduce in sectors that require continuous staffing. Employers would need to plan shifts carefully and ensure adequate operational coverage, rather than simply compressing the same workload into fewer days. A gradual trial could help organisations identify workable schedules without compromising services.

Overall, I agree that the working week should be shorter and the weekend longer. With thoughtful planning, this change can support workers’ wellbeing while preserving effective and reliable work.

Targeted Improvement Tips

1
Replace the abstract wording in the introduction with a direct statement of the proposal, then keep the clear position sentence that follows.
2
Develop the efficiency point with a specific, hypothetical workplace illustration, such as how a team could reduce unnecessary meetings while maintaining coverage.
3
Keep the concession and practical response together: explain which workplaces may face difficulty, then show how a trial schedule could address that concern.

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