Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-05
IELTS Writing Task 2 question
In many countries, primary and secondary schools close for two months or more in the summer holidays.
What is the value of long school holidays?
What are the arguments in favour of shorter school holidays?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Student answer (Band 5.0)
it is often argued that long school holidays are benefical and reman positive impact to students. while others believe that shorter holidays are better. although both prespectives have their merits.
to begin with, there are several reasons why some people belive that is better or students to have a longer summer holiday. one of the main reasons for this view is that they have a suffisant time to relax , unwind and spend some quality time with their family. this means that after a long busy year with exams and stress they finally have time to enjoy and to see their relatives. for example, they can go to their grandparent's home in the mountain and gathering with their cousinn that they can find time to see them during studying. as a result student go back to school with new energy and excited to meet their classmates and teatchers.
but on the other hands, many belives that have a shorter school holidays is more meningful becaue students wouldn't forget what they study last year. this means that they will not take a lot of time at the begning in refresher sessions. instead they will start to learn new things. thus help students to have more useful knowledge without losing time.
to sum up, while both viewpoints have valid arguments and eatch one obtain benefints to the student i believe that even the to study and learn new knowledge is important also keep in tatch with family and relatives is benefical and important
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
You address both questions: the paragraph on longer holidays gives students time to relax and see relatives, while the shorter-holiday paragraph argues that students retain what they learned and can begin new material sooner. The example of visiting grandparents adds some relevant support. However, the discussion remains limited and several points are asserted rather than explained; for instance, you do not show how shorter breaks would improve learning beyond avoiding a refresher period. Your position is also difficult to identify: the introduction presents both views without a clear stance, and the conclusion says both are important without directly answering which benefits you consider more valuable. State your view clearly and develop each main reason with a specific explanation or example.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a recognisable introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion, so the reader can follow its broad organisation. Connectors such as “to begin with,” “for example,” and “to sum up” help signal stages in the discussion. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes unclear, and some linking phrases do not accurately express the relationship between ideas. The opening ends with “although both perspectives have their merits,” which is an incomplete sentence, while “but on the other hands” is an awkward transition. References such as “this means” and “thus” do not always make the connection precise. Build each paragraph around one clear claim, explain it in sequence, and use fewer, more accurate transitions.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “unwind,” “quality time,” “refresher sessions,” and “relatives.” These choices show an attempt to discuss both family life and learning rather than relying entirely on basic terms. However, the range is limited, and frequent spelling and word-choice errors sometimes make the reader work to understand your meaning. Examples include “benefical,” “suffisant,” “prespectives,” and “meningful”; phrases such as “obtain benefits to the student” are also unnatural. Aim to learn accurate topic-related collocations and check spelling carefully. More precise expressions for academic learning and the effects of holiday length would help you explain your ideas clearly and avoid repetition.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt to use both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a reason clause beginning “because” and a result structure with “as a result.” This gives the response some variety, but control is inconsistent: complex attempts are often faulty, and errors occur frequently enough to make parts difficult to follow. For example, “although both perspectives have their merits” is a fragment, “students wouldn't forget what they study last year” has an inconsistent verb tense, and “thus help students” lacks a clear grammatical subject. There are also problems with articles, agreement, and sentence boundaries. Practise writing complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and check tense consistency when describing past learning and future effects.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.