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The short version
A good survey response picks a side in the first sentence, gives two reasons, and follows each reason to a result. This page shows one complete original response to an invented survey, explains line by line why it scores where it does, and marks it on the four dimensions.
How the task works
Task 2 gives you a survey with two options. You pick one and explain why, in roughly 150 to 200 words. It is the second of the two tasks in the writing part, which takes 53 minutes with the email. Because the task asks for an opinion, you may use "I" and keep the tone polite and clear. The Task 2 planning guide covers the plan and a checklist; here the focus is a finished answer and how it is marked. Any level below is a practice estimate from our own marking guide.
The invented prompt
Survey: The fictional Redfern Supply Company is asking staff how they would like to change their working week. Which option do you prefer?
- Option A: Four longer working days, with a three-day weekend.
- Option B: Five shorter days, with a choice of start time between 7 and 10 a.m.
Choose one option and explain your choice with reasons and examples.
Sample response
I would choose the four-day week with longer days, mainly because it would give staff real time to recover and to look after personal business.
First, a three-day weekend would make appointments and errands much easier to manage. At the moment many of us take unpaid hours off to visit a dentist or a government office, and those hours add up. With one extra day every week, that pressure would mostly disappear, so people would start on Monday more rested and more focused.
Second, the company would probably save on travel and running costs. Four commutes instead of five means fewer people stuck in traffic, and the warehouse could stay closed one more day a week, which lowers heating and electricity bills. Those savings could pay for something useful, such as better equipment for the packing team.
I accept that flexible start times would help parents who must take children to school. However, that only solves the morning, whereas an extra day off helps with every part of life. Even if the working days are longer, a four-day week is the better choice for both staff and the company.
Word count: about 189 words.
Why it earns its level (practice estimate CLB 9)
- The choice is clear straight away. "I would choose the four-day week with longer days" answers the survey in the first sentence, so the reader never wonders which side this is.
- Each reason has a result. "Many of us take unpaid hours off... and those hours add up" leads to "so people would start on Monday more rested". The word "so" turns a reason into a good reason.
- The second reason uses a different kind of support. The first is about people, the second about costs. "Fewer people stuck in traffic" and "lowers heating and electricity bills" are concrete, and "something useful, such as better equipment" gives an example.
- It admits the other side briefly. "I accept that flexible start times would help parents" shows range. "However, that only solves the morning" explains why option A still wins.
- The last sentence restates the choice. "Even if the working days are longer" faces the weakest point of option A instead of ignoring it.
- Linking words are exact. First, Second, so, however, whereas and which each do a real job.
For contrast, here is the kind of paragraph that keeps a response low:
I think the flexible start is good. It is good because people can come when they want. Also it is good for parents. Also the company is happy when workers are happy.
It has a side, but "good" is repeated, no reason leads to a result, and there is no example. It is also far too short.
Marking table
| Dimension | What this answer does | What would lift it |
|---|---|---|
| Content/Coherence | Clear position, two developed reasons with consequences, a short concession, and a closing restatement in a logical order. | Add one personal or specific example, such as a named kind of errand, and answer the obvious objection to longer days (tiredness) in a sentence. |
| Vocabulary | Accurate topic words: "commutes", "overhead", "running costs", "equipment". Little repetition. | Use a few more precise or less common phrases, such as "work-life balance" used carefully, instead of "personal business". |
| Readability | Varied sentence length, correct tenses, clear paragraphs and punctuation. | Check long sentences for commas. Mix in one or two more complex structures if they are accurate. |
| Task Fulfillment | Chooses one option, gives reasons and examples, stays in the word range and keeps a polite tone. | Already complete. Keep the word count inside the range after adding anything. |
Common mistakes in survey responses
- Writing "both options are good" and never choosing.
- Listing three or four reasons in one sentence each instead of two reasons you can explain.
- Repeating one word ("good", "better", "important") as the only support.
- Spending half the answer describing the option you did not choose.
- Ending without a final line that restates your choice.
- Going far over 200 words and having no time left to check grammar.
Try it yourself
Write a response for option B instead. Choose it in your first sentence, give two reasons with results, concede one point to option A and end with a restatement. Then compare how each of your sentences answers the question "so what happens?".
Questions
Do I have to pick the option I really prefer?
No. Choose the option you can explain best. The task marks how well you support your choice.
Can I mention the other option?
Yes, briefly. A one-sentence concession followed by why your choice still fits shows range, as long as most of the response supports your side.
Is the sample the only way to score well?
No. A different structure can work. What matters is a clear choice, developed reasons, accurate language and the right length.
Sources (checked 26 October 2026)
Last reviewed 26 October 2026
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