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)

Now a days,educational departments worry about the concern of long or short holidays.A folk of people belive that long holidays in summer are beneficial for students.While other argue in the favour of short holidays.But i strongly although ;ong holidays reliefe stress of students.it also distract student from studies.

According to my perspective long holidays of two months really assit students to relax mind and to spend holidays in joyfull.Particularly the summer holidays which are very crucial for Goverment schools, because in Pakistan severe heat waves come in summer and tempreature increase to 50 degree, which is not bearable and most of the students ill by heat wave,So Government announce 3 month holidays in summer and the coleges give summer pack to students during this period.Students do thier home task in homes that maintain its learning ability.However,most of the student does not complete tasks and get ditract from dtudies.

Furthermore,long holidays disturb the routine of students daily life.Students forget about the task which they learn before the holidays also morning or sleeping routine also change and they become habitual of this.As a result, they face many difficulties when they come back to school after a long period.In addition to this in these holidays college tske online classes which are very helpfull for those students who take it regular or with full sttention but students offenly distract from studies wuring online clsses becouse the social media notifications or the network error also make problem for students.

In conclusion, i think shoorter holidays are more beneficial in oder to to relax student mind then long holidays.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both sides of the question: you explain that long holidays allow students to rest and are necessary during Pakistan’s severe summer heat, and you identify disrupted routines and distraction as reasons to shorten them. The local example gives the response relevant context. However, the value of long holidays is not developed consistently: the point about students completing homework is followed by the concern that many do not, without explaining how this affects the overall value. The arguments for shorter holidays also need clearer support, and the conclusion states a preference without summarising the main reasons. Develop each side with a specific explanation or example and make your position clear throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable introduction, body paragraphs and conclusion, and ideas are grouped broadly by topic. Linking expressions such as “Furthermore,” “As a result” and “In addition to this” help signal relationships. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes difficult to follow: the discussion moves from heat and rest to homework, then to routine changes and online classes without clearly showing how each point connects to the argument. Some transitions are mechanical, and references such as “this” in “they become habitual of this” are unclear. Use one main idea per paragraph, explain it before adding another, and make pronoun references explicit. A clearer sequence—benefits first, then drawbacks of long breaks and the case for shorter ones—would strengthen the overall flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “heat waves,” “routine,” “online classes” and “social media notifications,” which helps communicate the subject. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, sometimes making the meaning harder to understand. For example, “a folk of people” does not express the intended idea, “reliefe stress” is not a natural phrase, and “distract student from studies” needs more precise wording. Spelling errors such as “tempreature,” “coleges” and “helpfull” are also noticeable. Build a bank of accurate phrases for discussing education and holidays, and check spelling and word forms carefully before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a reason clause beginning “because” and a result structure with “As a result.” However, complex sentences are often faulty, and errors in sentence boundaries, agreement, articles and verb forms occur frequently enough to make parts difficult to read. For instance, “While other argue” is an incomplete contrast, and “most of the student does not complete tasks” has problems with plural agreement. Several sentences run together without appropriate punctuation, particularly the opening and the paragraph about online classes. Practise building complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, then check agreement and punctuation. Shorter, accurately controlled sentences will make your ideas easier to follow.

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.