Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-14

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)

Primary and higher schools give vacations to students for around 2 months and somewhere more in many countries around the globe. These holidays give students break from study and help easing extreme summer time. Whereas not going to schools may bring students spending time laziness eliminating puntual routine.

There are some benefits of shutting off schools. Firstly, studying every time during the year can exhaust children and they may not be able to relax and become frustrated.So, some months off can give some relaxation of mind and going back again. Secondly, in some countries weather conditions are so harm that going out of the houses cause sunburn,dizziness and other health issues. That is why saying at house can bring ease.

With long period holidays, there may be some concequences as disturbed routines. For example holidays for short time may be good in terms of a healthy school routine and doing their home works. This make sure that students are back to their normal track in very short span of time. For example, when a loop is broken it takes time to get back on the track again.

To conclude, summer break in schools may be benefical in a way that students get short stay from what whole year of study gives that is tiredness. Not only this, but also in hot summer conditions it can make students stay home safe from heating waves of hot weather. Contrary, smart holidays may be more suitable in terms of organized routines that students have at school,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both questions: the first body paragraph explains the value of a break for rest and protection from extreme heat, while the next presents the case for shorter holidays through maintaining routines and returning to schoolwork. These are relevant points, and the conclusion restates both sides. However, the response only partially develops them. For instance, the claim that children may become frustrated from studying all year is not supported with a specific explanation or example, and the argument for shorter breaks is less clear than the benefits of long holidays. Your position is also difficult to identify: the conclusion calls shorter holidays “more suitable,” but this preference is not clearly established earlier. Explain each argument more fully and state your view consistently.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two sides, and a conclusion. Sequencing words such as “Firstly,” “Secondly,” and “For example” help signal the development of points. However, progression between ideas is sometimes unclear or mechanical. The opening sentence about laziness and routine does not lead smoothly into the paragraph on the benefits of long holidays, and the paragraph about shorter holidays shifts from routines to homework and then to a broken “loop” without clearly connecting these points. Some references, such as “This” in “This make sure,” are also unclear. Use topic sentences that directly identify each paragraph’s argument and link examples explicitly to the point they support.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some vocabulary relevant to the topic, including “exhaust,” “relax,” “health issues,” and “organized routines,” so the main ideas can generally be understood. However, the range is limited and several inaccurate or unnatural choices make meaning less clear. “Shutting off schools” is not a natural way to describe a holiday, while “harm” in “weather conditions are so harm” and “saying at house” do not express the intended ideas accurately. There are also spelling errors such as “puntual,” “concequences,” and “benefical.” Aim for precise, natural collocations and check spelling; for example, describe schools as “closing for the summer” and students as “staying indoors.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a cause-and-effect structure in “That is why saying at house can bring ease” and a conditional example beginning “when a loop is broken.” However, complex attempts are often faulty, and errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences difficult to follow. Examples include “studying every time during the year can exhaust children and they may not be able to relax and become frustrated,” where the relationship between ideas is unclear, and “This make sure,” which has incorrect subject–verb agreement. Other problems include missing or incorrect articles and prepositions, as in “give students break” and “back to their normal track.” Practise accurate sentence patterns and proofread agreement, articles, and punctuation.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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