Cambridge IELTS 19 Test 2 Writing Task 2: Shorter Working Week
Cambridge IELTS 19 · Test 2 · Academic Writing Task 2Opinion (agree or disagree)Society
The statement says that the working week should be shorter and that workers should have a longer weekend. Candidates must say whether they agree or disagree and support their position with reasons and examples.
The question
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. The working week should be shorter and workers should have a longer weekend. Do you agree or disagree? Write at least 250 words.
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How to read the question
- This is an opinion essay: Do you agree or disagree requires a clear position in the introduction that stays the same through to the conclusion.
- The statement has two linked parts, a shorter working week and a longer weekend. The obvious reading is a four-day week, but you should address both the reduction in working time and the extra day off.
- Should makes this a question about what ought to happen, so discuss the effects on workers, employers and the economy, not only whether people would personally like more free time.
- A partial position is acceptable, for example agreeing in principle but noting that some sectors such as healthcare cannot simply close for three days, as long as you state it clearly.
- Avoid drifting into a general essay about work-life balance, working from home or unemployment, which does not answer the specific question about the length of the week.
- Support claims with concrete evidence, such as trials of a four-day week in which many companies kept productivity stable, rather than vague statements.
Suggested position
I largely agree that the working week should be shortened, because a longer weekend would improve workers' health and productivity, although the change would need to be introduced flexibly in sectors that must operate every day.
Paragraph plan
- 1
Introduction
Paraphrase the statement that people should work fewer days and enjoy a longer weekend, then give your position: largely agree, with flexibility needed in some sectors.
- 2
Body paragraph 1: benefits for workers
Argue that a three-day weekend would reduce stress and burnout, give time for family, exercise and personal tasks, and improve mental health. Mention that long hours do not mean high output.
- 3
Body paragraph 2: benefits for employers, and limitations
Explain that rested staff are more focused and productive, and that trials of a four-day week have often shown stable output, lower sick leave and better staff retention. Then concede that hospitals, transport and shops need staff every day, so rotas or staggered days off would be required.
- 4
Conclusion
Restate that you largely agree, and summarise that a shorter week benefits both workers and employers if it is applied flexibly.
Ideas and arguments
- Long working hours are linked to stress, burnout and health problems, so a shorter week could reduce sick leave.
- A three-day weekend gives people time for family, exercise, hobbies and household tasks, improving work-life balance.
- Productivity often falls when people are tired; well-rested employees can achieve as much in four focused days as in five.
- Trials of a four-day week in several countries have reported that many companies maintained output while staff reported better well-being.
- A shorter week can help employers attract and retain staff, reducing recruitment costs.
- Some sectors, such as healthcare, emergency services, transport and retail, must operate every day, so a uniform long weekend is impractical.
- If workloads are not reduced, cramming five days of work into four could increase daily stress and lead to longer days.
- Small businesses may struggle with the cost of hiring extra staff to cover the missing day.
Band 8+ model answer
293 words · An original model answer written for ieltswrites, not an official answer. It stays in English, as in the exam.
It has been suggested that employees should work fewer days each week and enjoy a longer weekend in return. I largely agree with this proposal, because a shorter working week would benefit both workers and employers, although it would need to be introduced flexibly in sectors that operate every day.
The most obvious advantage would be for employees' health and well-being. Many people today work long hours and spend their weekends catching up on household chores, leaving little time to recharge. A three-day weekend would give them the opportunity to spend time with their families, exercise and pursue interests, which would reduce stress and the risk of burnout. Since chronic stress is a major cause of illness, this could also lower the number of days lost to sick leave.
Employers would also gain from such a change. Working longer does not necessarily mean producing more, as tired staff tend to make more mistakes and lose concentration. Pilot schemes of a four-day week in several countries have suggested that many companies were able to maintain their output while their employees reported being happier and more focused. In addition, firms offering a shorter week often find it easier to attract and keep skilled workers, which reduces recruitment costs.
Admittedly, this model cannot simply be applied to every job. Hospitals, public transport and emergency services must provide round-the-clock services, and shops need staff at weekends. In these sectors, however, the same principle could be achieved through rotas and staggered days off, so that each worker has a longer break without services being interrupted.
In conclusion, I believe that a shorter working week with a longer weekend would lead to a healthier and more productive workforce, provided that it is adapted to the needs of essential services.
Why this answer scores highly
- Task Response
- The essay states a clear position of largely agreeing, supports it with developed reasons about workers' health and employers' productivity, addresses the practical limitation, and keeps the same stance in the conclusion.
- Coherence and Cohesion
- Each paragraph has a single focus, workers and then employers with a limitation, and ideas progress logically using linking such as not only, admittedly and for this reason.
- Lexical Resource
- Precise collocations such as work-life balance, staff retention, pilot schemes, round-the-clock services and staggered days off show a wide range of topic vocabulary.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy
- The essay combines conditional sentences, relative clauses, passive forms and modal verbs such as would and should to discuss hypothetical changes accurately.
Useful vocabulary
- a four-day week
- a working pattern in which employees work four days instead of five
- work-life balance
- the balance between time spent working and time for personal life
- productivity
- the amount of work produced in a given time
- burnout
- extreme physical and mental tiredness caused by overwork
- well-rested
- having had enough rest to feel fresh and alert
- sick leave
- time away from work because of illness
- staff retention
- an organisation's ability to keep its employees
- pilot scheme
- a small trial carried out before a policy is introduced widely
- round-the-clock services
- services that operate 24 hours a day, every day
- staggered days off
- days off that are given to different workers on different days
- rota
- a schedule showing when each person works
- recharge
- rest in order to regain energy
- output
- the amount of work or goods produced
Common mistakes
- Only saying that people would enjoy more free time, without explaining why society or employers should adopt a shorter week.
- Not stating a clear position, or agreeing in the introduction but disagreeing in the conclusion.
- Ignoring the practical problem that some essential services must run every day.
- Writing about working from home or flexible hours in general instead of the length of the working week.
- Using made-up statistics such as productivity rises by 70%, which weaken credibility; general references to real trials are safer.
- Repeating the phrases working week and longer weekend instead of paraphrasing with a four-day week, a three-day weekend and reduced working hours.
Frequently asked questions
- Which Cambridge book is this question from?
- This question about a shorter working week and a longer weekend is Writing Task 2 of Test 2 in Cambridge IELTS 19 Academic, published in 2023.
- Can I partly agree with a shorter working week?
- Yes. You can agree in principle while explaining a limitation, as long as your overall position is clear in the introduction and consistent in the conclusion.
- Can I mention the four-day week trials?
- Yes, but describe them in general terms, such as trials in several countries found that many companies maintained productivity, rather than quoting precise figures you are not sure of.
- How many words should I write for this Task 2?
- Write at least 250 words; about 270-310 words is enough to develop two body paragraphs fully in 40 minutes.
Free and timed, with a live word count, just like the computer-delivered test. Then get an instant AI band score.
The exam simulator runs on a computer. Open this page on a laptop or desktop to practise.