The working week should be shorter and workers should have a longer weekend. Do you agree or disagree?
Sample Response
For some people the working week should be reduced in order to give a longer rest to the workers. This essay will discuss the arguments against workers having a shorter working time, and what are the possible benefits of this policy, then i will say my opinion.
The main point against this request is that the productivity would suffer with less workers available, consequently the workers themselves would experiment a decrease in quality of life, this argument sustain that it would cause a negative effect in everyone, not only business would be damaged.
On the other hand there are some benefits that could outweight the negative effects. The most important factor that is the welfare of the worker would be rapidly improved, generating more satisfaction along middle class and most groups of our society.
In my opinion, giving a chance to the workers to have more free time, will probably result in a happier relation between employees and employers, creating a nicer enviroment to produce more or continue to grow the business
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Incorrect indirect question word order Original: what are the possible benefits of this policy Suggested revision: the possible benefits of this policy Why it matters: Indirect questions should use statement word order rather than inversion.
- 2. Lowercase personal pronoun Original: i Suggested revision: I Why it matters: The personal pronoun 'I' must always be capitalized.
- 3. Incorrect quantifier for countable noun Original: less workers Suggested revision: fewer workers Why it matters: Use 'fewer' instead of 'less' for countable nouns like 'workers'.
- 4. Comma splice error Original: available, consequently Suggested revision: available; consequently, Why it matters: A semicolon or period is required before a conjunctive adverb like 'consequently' when connecting independent clauses.
- 5. Incorrect word choice Original: experiment Suggested revision: experience Why it matters: The verb 'experiment' is incorrect here; the intended meaning is to undergo or 'experience' a decrease.
- 6. Subject-verb agreement error Original: this argument sustain Suggested revision: this argument sustains Why it matters: The singular subject 'argument' requires the singular verb form 'sustains'.
- 7. Spelling mistake Original: outweight Suggested revision: outweigh Why it matters: The verb 'outweigh' does not end with a 't'.
- 8. Redundant relative clause Original: factor that is the welfare Suggested revision: factor, the welfare Why it matters: Removing 'that is' makes the appositive phrase grammatically correct and natural.
- 9. Comma separating subject and verb Original: free time, will Suggested revision: free time will Why it matters: Do not place a single comma between the subject clause and its verb.
- 10. Spelling mistake Original: enviroment Suggested revision: environment Why it matters: The word 'environment' is missing the letter 'n' before 'ment'.
- 11. Break up run-on sentence Original: The main point against this request is that the productivity would suffer with less workers available, consequently the workers themselves would experiment a decrease in quality of life, this argument sustain that it would cause a negative effect in everyone, not only business would be damaged. Suggested revision: The main point against this request is that productivity would suffer with fewer workers available. Consequently, the workers themselves would experience a decrease in their quality of life; this argument sustains that a shorter week would cause a negative effect on everyone, damaging more than just businesses. Why it matters: This sentence is a run-on with multiple comma splices that make the logical progression difficult to follow.
- 12. Improve paragraph progression Suggested revision: Conclude by summarizing the main points of both sides before stating your final opinion. Why it matters: The final paragraph functions as an opinion statement but lacks a summarizing element to bring a cohesive closure to the entire essay.
Suggested Rewrites
- what are the possible benefits of this policy the possible benefits of this policy
- i I
- less workers fewer workers
- available, consequently available; consequently,
- experiment experience
- this argument sustain this argument sustains
Why this response received Band 5.5
The essay clearly outlines both sides of the debate and presents a clear personal opinion in the conclusion. However, the response is significantly under-length at only 172 words, which severely limits the depth of argument development and explanation. To improve, the candidate must expand on their main points with concrete examples and ensure they meet the minimum 250-word requirement.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Detailed feedback by IELTS writing criterion after the annotated essay.
Task Response
While a clear position is presented in the final paragraph, the ideas are only minimally explored and lack supporting examples due to the severe under-length word count.
Aim to write at least 250 words by fully explaining the 'why' and 'how' of each point and adding specific real-world examples.
Coherence and Cohesion
The essay has a clear four-paragraph structure, but the progression of ideas feels rushed and some transitions are mechanical.
Use a wider range of linking words and ensure each body paragraph fully develops one central topic sentence before moving to the next.
Lexical Resource
The vocabulary used is generally appropriate for the topic, though there are some awkward word choices such as 'experiment a decrease' and spelling errors like 'enviroment'.
Focus on learning natural word pairings (collocations) and practice proofreading to eliminate basic spelling mistakes.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The response contains several grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues and frequent comma splices where full stops are needed.
Work on sentence boundary punctuation to avoid run-on sentences, and ensure singular subjects agree with singular verbs.
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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.