IELTS Essay Bank · Task 2 General Training · Opinion (agree/disagree)
Flexible Working Hours: Band 7 Sample Essay
314 words · Topic: Work & careers ·
The question
Write about the following topic:
Some people believe that all employers should allow their staff to choose the hours they work, as long as the work is completed.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words.
Band 7 sample essay
Highlighted = useful vocabularyIn recent years, more and more companies has started to let employees decide when they work, as long as they finish their tasks. Although I believe this is a positive development for many jobs, I do not agree that every employer should be expected to offer it, because some types of work simply depend on fixed schedules.
There are clear advantages to letting staff choose their own hours. Firstly, it helps people to balance work and family life. A parent who can start work at ten o'clock after taking the children to school is likely to feel less stressed and more loyal to the company. Secondly, people have different peak hours; some concentrate best early in the morning, while others work more efficient late in the evening. When I worked in a small marketing agency, our manager allowed us to choose our hours, and I noticed that the quality of our reports actually improved, since nobody was forced to write when they was tired.
Flexible hours can benefit employers too. Staff who are trusted to manage their own time usually take ownership of their work, and companies can reduce costs such as overtime payments. It also reduce traffic during the rush hour, because not everyone travel at the same time.
However, this system is not suitable for every workplace. Hospitals, supermarkets and public transport need workers to be present at specific times, otherwise the service would collapse. A nurse cannot simply decide to arrive at midday if patients need care at eight o'clock. Even in offices, some tasks require face-to-face collaboration, and if every team member choose different hours, it may be difficult to organise meeting.
In conclusion, I agree that employers should offer flexible working hours wherever possible, as it improves both wellbeing and productivity. Nevertheless, making it compulsory for all employers would be unrealistic, because many essential jobs depend on fixed shifts.
Word count: 314
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Why this is Band 7: criterion by criterion
Task Response
Band 7The prompt is fully addressed and the position is clear and consistent: flexible hours are desirable, but not for "all employers". Main ideas are extended and supported, with a relevant personal example from the marketing agency and a well-chosen counter-example of a nurse. Some points over-generalise — staff "usually take ownership of their work" is asserted without explanation — and the traffic benefit is added in a single sentence without development. Clear position with extended but occasionally over-generalised ideas is Band 7.
Coherence and Cohesion
Band 7Ideas are logically organised: advantages for employees, advantages for employers, limitations, and a conclusion that clearly restates the qualified position. A range of cohesive devices is used ("Although", "since", "However", "Nevertheless"), and each paragraph has a clear central topic. Firstly and Secondly within the second paragraph are a little mechanical, and "It also reduce traffic" is an unclear reference, since "It" has to be read back to flexible hours rather than to the costs just mentioned. Clear progression with some lapses in referencing is Band 7.
Lexical Resource
Band 7The vocabulary is sufficient for flexibility and precision, with natural workplace collocations such as "balance work and family life", "take ownership of", "face-to-face collaboration" and "fixed shifts". The writer uses less common items with awareness of style ("peak hours", "the service would collapse"). There is an occasional word-form error — "work more efficient" should be the adverb efficiently — which is consistent with Band 7.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Band 6There is a mix of simple and complex structures, including concessive and conditional clauses, relative clauses ("A parent who can start work…") and a gerund subject ("making it compulsory"). However, errors are more frequent than at Band 7, especially in subject–verb agreement: "companies has started" (have), "when they was tired" (were), "It also reduce" (reduces), "everyone travel" (travels) and "every team member choose" (chooses). There is also a missing article and plural in "organise meeting" (organise meetings) and a comma splice before "otherwise" (a semicolon is needed). These errors rarely reduce communication, but their frequency holds grammar at Band 6.
Useful vocabulary and collocations
- balance work and family life
- to manage job and home responsibilities; also achieve a good work–life balance.
- peak hours
- the times when someone works or performs best (also used for the busiest times of day).
- take ownership of
- to accept full responsibility for a task; a strong workplace collocation.
- face-to-face collaboration
- working together in person; useful when comparing remote and office work.
- wherever possible
- whenever circumstances allow; a neat way to qualify a recommendation.
- fixed shifts
- set periods of work at the same times each day or week.
How this essay could reach Band 8
- 1Check every present-tense verb for agreement before you finish: five of the errors here are singular/plural mistakes (companies have, they were, it reduces, everyone travels, every member chooses).
- 2Develop the employer benefits paragraph by explaining why trusted staff work harder and how flexible hours reduce overtime costs, rather than stating these as facts.
- 3Make each "it" refer clearly to one noun — for example, "Staggered hours also reduce traffic…" instead of "It also reduce traffic".
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