Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-13

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)

A lot of school provides long holidays in summer to let their learners enjoy their free time. It is widely argued that students should not be allowed to have long holidays as it affects their study. Meanwhile, some belives that young people should have long holidays to enjoy and learn outdoors things or reallife skills. I strongly belive that they should have long holiday because they need to learn reall life skills and improve their socialization.

To begin with, it is a great opportunities for young learners to have their own time -like to play outdoor games, socialize with friends, make new friends and know themselves more. When long holidays like two months or more in the summer holidays are provided to them, they get to learn about social works, know about the globalization worldwide rather than just reading book based knowledge. For instance, a student with only book based knowledge is supposedly weaker in real life world than a person with outdoors skills and experience.

Meanwhile, some people favour shorter school holidays for their children- as they thinks that nothinng is more important than degree and good grades. For instance, some elder belives that without degree there is no point of life so they pressure their childrens to only study and do not want much holidays for them. But that is actually a wrong way of parenting a child- for example, when a child have knowledge about books and history- they are likely to have less real time skills and knowlede because of that he lacks to survive in the real world.

In conclusion, I personally perfer that young learner should be provided with long hollidays to know themselves and enjoy their free time rather than only learning about history and book based knowledge.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You give a clear preference for long holidays, stating that students need time to develop practical skills and socialise. You also identify a reason for shorter holidays: some parents prioritise degrees and grades. These points address both questions, but the discussion is uneven and only partly developed. The value of long holidays is explained mainly through outdoor activities and social skills, while the argument for shorter holidays is presented largely as a belief held by parents rather than a clear benefit of shorter breaks, such as maintaining learning continuity. Examples are general, and the claim that book-based students are weaker in real life needs clearer support. Develop both sides with specific consequences and examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, two body paragraphs presenting contrasting views, and a conclusion. Linking phrases such as “To begin with,” “Meanwhile,” and “In conclusion” help signal the stages of the argument. Overall, the ideas can be followed, but connections within paragraphs are sometimes unclear or mechanical. For example, the move from outdoor games to “know about the globalization worldwide” is not explained, and “because of that” in the third paragraph does not clearly connect the preceding ideas to the claimed lack of survival skills. Some points are repeated, particularly the contrast between book knowledge and real-life skills. Use clearer cause-and-effect links and organise each paragraph around one main claim followed by explanation and evidence.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “socialize,” “grades,” “degree,” and “real life skills.” There are also attempts to express less basic concepts, such as “book based knowledge” and “social works.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or unclear, which sometimes makes the reader pause. Examples include “social works” where you appear to mean social activities, and “know about the globalization worldwide,” which is not a natural expression in this context. Spelling and word-form errors such as “belives,” “reallife,” and “hollidays” are noticeable. Aim for precise, natural phrases and check spelling carefully; avoid repeating “book-based knowledge” when a more specific expression would clarify your point.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a contrast introduced by “Meanwhile” and a conditional example beginning “when a child…”. The overall meaning is usually understandable, but errors in agreement, articles, plurals, and verb forms recur. For example, “A lot of school provides” needs a plural subject and verb, while “some people… as they thinks” has a subject–verb agreement error. In “when a child have knowledge,” the verb form is also incorrect, and “a great opportunities” mismatches the article and noun. Some long sentences combine several ideas without secure grammatical control. Practise checking each sentence for subject–verb agreement and singular/plural consistency, and use shorter, accurately punctuated sentences when expressing several linked points.

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