Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-07-24

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 7.5)

In many parts of the world, students have a long summer break that lasts for two months or even longer. While extended holidays have several advantages for students and teachers, there are also strong arguments for making these breaks shorter.

On the one hand, long school holidays have great value for students. Firstly, children need a long break to rest after a difficult school year. Studying for many months can make students feel tired and stressed, so a long break helps them relax their minds. Secondly, long holidays give students time to spend with their families and travel to new places. For example, many families go on vacations or visit relatives in other cities during the summer. Furthermore, students can use this extra time to learn practical life skills or practice hobbies like sports, music, or cooking, which they cannot do during the busy school term.

On the other hand, many people argue that school holidays should be shorter. One main reason is that students often forget what they learned during a long break. When they return to school after two months, teachers usually have to spend several weeks reviewing old lessons. Another important reason is that long holidays can create problems for working parents. Many parents cannot take two months off work, so they have to pay a lot of money for daycare or summer camps to look after their children.

In conclusion, long summer breaks give students time to rest, travel, and pursue personal interests. However, shorter holidays could help students remember their lessons better and make life easier for working parents.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt effectively. You have clearly identified the value of long holidays (rest, family time, skill development) and the arguments for shorter ones (academic regression, childcare burdens). The position is consistent throughout, and the ideas are well-supported with relevant examples, such as the mention of daycare costs and the need for teachers to review lessons. To reach a higher band, you could further extend your arguments by discussing the long-term impact on student motivation or the potential for year-round schooling models, which would add more depth to your analysis.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the transition between the two sides of the argument is smooth, using phrases like 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand'. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'Furthermore', and 'In conclusion' are used appropriately to guide the reader. The progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow. The paragraphing is sufficient and contributes to the overall coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your ideas with precision. Phrases like 'academic regression' (implied by 'forget what they learned') and 'practical life skills' are used effectively. While the vocabulary is accurate and appropriate for the task, it is somewhat functional. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations or less common lexical items, such as 'mitigate the learning loss' instead of 'forget what they learned' or 'alleviate the financial strain' instead of 'pay a lot of money'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The essay displays a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. You use subordinating conjunctions like 'while' and 'when' effectively to create complex sentences. The grammar is generally accurate, and there are no significant errors that impede communication. Punctuation is used correctly throughout. To improve, you could experiment with a wider variety of complex structures, such as conditional sentences (e.g., 'If school terms were restructured, students might benefit from...') or passive voice constructions to add variety to your writing style.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.