Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

In some countries, primary and secondary schools are kept closed during summer holidays for two or more months. The primary reason is to give students break from studies, however, working parents may not be available to look after their children for a longer period of time.

The long summer holidays are to give children a break from their study routine and to also give them time with their parents. To explain, during school days students have to spend a considerable amount of their time at school and doing extra curriculum activities after school. As a result, they may find it difficult to have time for themselves and for their families. Long holidays give them the chance to get a break from their routine and also an opportunity to visit their relatives. For instance, a number of students during summer vacations visit their distant relatives and sometimes go to new places with their parents to live some time away from school and that busy routine.

The major argument in favor of shorter holidays is that in this modern era most of the parents are working which makes it difficult for them to get time to look after their children especially during day times. This is because their parents are unable to take leave from their work for that long as it would cause them financial loss. Therefore, it is not practical to keep school close for two or more months. Moreover, long breaks from school can also impact their academic performances. They will stay away from schools and studies, which could make it difficult for them to stay focused on academics and will result in poor performance during exams.

To conclude, giving children long vacations may be helpful in reducing study pressure, although it could have negative impact on finances of the family and academic performance of the children

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the value of long holidays and the arguments for shorter ones. The ideas are relevant and logically developed. For instance, you discuss the benefits of family time and the drawbacks regarding parental work schedules and academic regression. However, the development could be more nuanced; for example, the point about academic performance is a bit brief. To reach a higher band, ensure that each argument is supported by a more detailed explanation or a specific, illustrative example. Overall, the position is clear and the task is fully addressed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme. You use cohesive devices such as 'To explain', 'As a result', 'Moreover', and 'To conclude' to link ideas. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. For example, the transition between the benefits of holidays and the drawbacks for parents could be more sophisticated. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'academic performance', 'financial loss', and 'modern era'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'extra curriculum activities' (should be 'extracurricular') and 'keep school close' (should be 'closed'). While you successfully convey your meaning, the vocabulary is generally functional rather than sophisticated. To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations and less common lexical items to demonstrate a higher level of control and stylistic awareness.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While many sentences are clear, there are recurring grammatical errors, such as missing articles ('during day times' should be 'during the daytime') and minor tense or pluralization slips ('impact their academic performances' should be 'academic performance'). Despite these errors, your meaning is consistently clear, and the mistakes do not impede communication. To move to a higher band, focus on refining your use of articles and ensuring subject-verb agreement, while continuing to experiment with more complex sentence structures.

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