Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-11

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 5.5)

In many countries the early and elementary school close for 60 days period or more during summer holidays. These extended holidays gives student mental rest from long school hours but it maybe the loss of their academic subjects that need some attention everyday.

The value of long holidays would be it may give students a break from academics. Younger children get break from daily pressure of homework and monthly exams. They would get some break from it. During this period student may spend their time in learning some skill beyond school education. In this time they would learn real world skills that would be beneficial for them in future. They would get time for family. In these months they would get sometime to play with their friends having fun.

On the other hand long term holidays cause loss of memory in fundamental of some subjects like the method of solving math questions, some science formulas. So when school reopen student would forget all about previous learning they had in school. Teacher may have to spend initial weeks on old lessons of subjects rather than introducing new ones. Also long term holidays effect younger students daily routine they may get up late and have excessive screen time throughout the day without moving their body. So shorter holidays after few months help to build academic momentum steady without losing it also it sticks students to a healthy routine.

in conclusion, while long holidays give students some rest from school and real world experience but shorter holidays keeps the academic momentum stable and gives healthy lifestyle

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both questions: the first body paragraph explains benefits such as relief from homework and time to learn skills or spend with family, while the next gives reasons for shorter breaks, including memory loss and disrupted routines. These points are relevant, and the conclusion restates the contrast. However, several ideas remain general or are asserted rather than explained. For example, the claim that students gain “real world skills” would be stronger with a specific example, and the discussion of forgotten learning could explain how shorter breaks prevent this. Your position is present but not fully developed: the conclusion favours shorter holidays, although the essay does not clearly weigh this against the benefits of longer ones. Develop and support the main points more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the benefits and drawbacks of long holidays, and a conclusion. The contrast marker “On the other hand” helps signal the shift to arguments for shorter holidays, and the ideas within each paragraph are generally related. However, progression is sometimes weakened by repetition, such as “They would get some break from it” after the point about homework and exams. Some links are mechanical, with repeated “In this time” and “During this period,” and the final paragraph begins with a lowercase “in conclusion.” Clarify references such as “it” and “this,” and use a wider range of linking and referencing choices so the connections feel more precise.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “academic momentum,” “fundamental,” “daily routine,” and “screen time.” There are also attempts to express less familiar concepts, such as “real world skills,” though some combinations are not natural or precise. Phrases such as “loss of memory in fundamental of some subjects” and “sticks students to a healthy routine” make the intended meaning less clear. Word choice and word forms are also inconsistent, as in “early and elementary school” and “long term holidays.” Aim for more accurate collocations and precise terms, particularly when describing learning retention and routines. This would make your ideas easier to follow and give your vocabulary greater flexibility.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple sentences and longer structures, including “So when school reopen student would forget all about previous learning they had in school,” and the overall meaning is usually recoverable. However, errors in agreement, articles, plurals, and sentence boundaries occur across the response. For example, “These extended holidays gives student” needs agreement and plural forms, while “when school reopen” also has a subject–verb agreement problem. The opening sentence and the final sentence contain several clauses that would benefit from clearer punctuation and more controlled structure. Work on checking verb forms and noun number, and practise combining ideas with accurate subordinate clauses. Greater control of these patterns would make the argument clearer.

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.