The working week should be shorter and workers should have a longer weekend. Do you agree or disagree?
Sample Response
The idea of a shorter working week with a longer weekend for employees has been a topic of wide discussion in recent years with some countries even experimenting with it. While it may seem appealing, I disagree with this proposal. A reduced working week could negatively impact productivity, increase operational costs, and hinder overall economic growth, in my opinion.
Firstly, reducing working hours could lead to decreased productivity, particularly in industries where constant output is essential. Many businesses rely on a full five-day week to meet deadlines, manage workloads, and maintain efficiency. For instance, manufacturing and service industries often require consistent labour, and cutting working days might result in delays, lower output, and dissatisfied clients. This could eventually harm a company’s competitiveness and profitability.
Secondly, shorter working weeks could lead to increased operational costs. Employers might need to hire additional staff to cover the reduced hours of existing employees, especially in sectors that demand round-the-clock operations, such as healthcare, customer service, and logistics. This would not only strain company finances but could also lead to reduced salaries or job losses, negatively affecting workers' financial stability. Furthermore, a shorter working week could limit career growth and development opportunities. With fewer working days, employees may have less time for training, skill enhancement, and professional networking. This could result in slower career progression and diminished job satisfaction in the long run.
In conclusion, while a shorter working week may offer temporary benefits such as increased leisure time, the potential drawbacks, including reduced productivity, higher costs, and limited career advancement, outweigh these advantages. Maintaining the traditional five-day workweek ensures stability, efficiency, and sustained economic growth.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Remove repeated stance marker Original: , in my opinion Suggested revision: Delete Why it matters: The preceding sentence already states the writer's position explicitly.
- 2. Use precise production term Original: constant output Suggested revision: continuous production Why it matters: Continuous production describes uninterrupted industrial activity more precisely.
- 3. Clarify the reduction Original: cutting working days Suggested revision: reducing the number of working days Why it matters: This wording states more precisely what is being reduced.
- 4. Clarify staffing meaning Original: cover the reduced hours of existing employees Suggested revision: cover the hours no longer worked by existing employees Why it matters: The revision makes clear that the uncovered hours, rather than the employees' hours themselves, need staffing.
- 5. Fix correlative structure Original: would not only strain company finances but could also lead Suggested revision: could not only strain companies’ finances but also lead Why it matters: Matching modal structure is required across not only and but also.
- 6. Remove redundant wording Original: career growth and development opportunities Suggested revision: career-development opportunities Why it matters: Growth and development overlap in meaning here.
- 7. Express opportunity precisely Original: less time for training Suggested revision: fewer opportunities for training Why it matters: Opportunities more accurately conveys access to training in this argument.
- 8. Avoid unsupported duration Original: temporary Suggested revision: potential Why it matters: Potential describes the claimed benefits without assuming that they are short-lived.
- 9. Qualify absolute claim Original: ensures stability Suggested revision: can support stability Why it matters: The modal avoids presenting a broad causal claim as certain.
- 10. Sentence rewrite Original: The idea of a shorter working week with a longer weekend for employees has been a topic of wide discussion in recent years with some countries even experimenting with it. Suggested revision: The idea of a shorter working week and a longer weekend has been widely discussed in recent years, and some countries have even experimented with it. Why it matters: The revision reduces wordiness and clarifies the relationship between the two clauses.
- 11. Separate the second reason Suggested revision: Begin a new paragraph at “Furthermore” so the discussion of career development forms a distinct reason. Why it matters: Separating the cost and career arguments would make the progression easier to follow.
Suggested Rewrites
- , in my opinion Delete
- constant output continuous production
- cutting working days reducing the number of working days
- cover the reduced hours of existing employees cover the hours no longer worked by existing employees
- would not only strain company finances but could also lead could not only strain companies’ finances but also lead
- career growth and development opportunities career-development opportunities
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response maintains a clear position and develops a persuasive, well-organised case through specific consequences for productivity, operating costs, and career development. Its main limitation is that several predictions are asserted with limited examination of possible workplace adaptations or counterevidence. To improve further, qualify the causal claims and develop one or two arguments more deeply instead of relying on a sequence of plausible outcomes.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The position is explicit and consistently supported by several relevant, well-developed arguments and examples.
Strengthen the evaluation by acknowledging how flexible staffing or productivity gains might affect the central claims.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas are sequenced logically in focused paragraphs, and cohesive devices guide the reader smoothly without drawing attention.
Refine the third body paragraph by signalling more clearly the shift from operating costs to career development.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is wide, precise, and appropriately formal, with effective control of topic-specific language.
Add slightly more nuanced evaluative language to distinguish likely effects from outcomes that are merely possible.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex structures is used accurately, and the response is largely free from grammatical error.
Polish the occasional heavy sentence by simplifying its coordination while retaining the same precise meaning.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
The working week should be shorter and workers should have a longer weekend. Do you agree or disagree?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.