Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

In most parts of the world, school for primary and secondary students is closed off for two months (usually in the months of April to June) in account of summer. This essay argues why shorter summer holidays should be installed.

Long summer holidays are deeply enjoyed by students and it is something children await for throughout the year. They take these holidays as a chance to skip studying and laze around the whole day. It is the nightmare for every parent as it is a dream for every child.

For many years, summer vacations were for around two months or more because of the strong heat waves during that time period. However, despite the fact that schools are closed off due to heat, kids spend most their time frolicking outside in the sun, which defeats the entire purpose of the holidays.

In addition, parents try to find multiple summer programmes or camps to make the summer worthwhile and productive. These summer camps usually cost a fortune and are additional costs along with the tuition of schools. Some parents even send their kids outside just to escape their wrath at home. For example, many parents would not be able tolerate the tantrums their kids throw and would wish for shorter holidays in order attain some peace and quiet.

As fun as holidays can be, they also has many disadvantages. Kids lose the momentum of their hard studying and fall behind. Parents struggle with the increase in costs and therefore shorter school holidays should be given.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The essay addresses both parts of the prompt: the value of long holidays and the arguments for shorter ones. However, the development is somewhat superficial. The discussion on the 'value' of holidays is limited to children 'lazing around,' which misses the opportunity to discuss educational benefits, family bonding, or mental health. The arguments for shorter holidays are more clearly presented, focusing on cost and academic momentum. To reach a higher band, you should provide more balanced and nuanced arguments for both sides of the debate rather than focusing primarily on the negative aspects of the current system.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, each with a clear focus. You use some cohesive devices like 'In addition,' 'However,' and 'For example,' which help the flow of ideas. However, the transition between the introduction and the body paragraphs is slightly abrupt. Additionally, some referencing is a bit repetitive, and the concluding paragraph is quite brief, failing to fully synthesize the points made earlier. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring each paragraph has a strong concluding sentence would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using phrases like 'strong heat waves,' 'worthwhile and productive,' and 'lose the momentum.' There are some minor inaccuracies in collocation and word choice, such as 'closed off' (should be 'closed') and 'in account of' (should be 'on account of'). While you attempt to use some less common vocabulary, the overall range is somewhat limited. To improve, try to incorporate more precise academic collocations and avoid informal phrasing like 'laze around' or 'cost a fortune' in favor of more formal alternatives.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. For instance, 'it also has many disadvantages' (subject-verb agreement error with 'has'), 'spend most their time' (missing preposition 'of'), and 'in order attain' (missing 'to'). These errors do not impede communication, but they do indicate a need for more careful proofreading. Increasing the variety of complex sentence structures while ensuring subject-verb agreement and correct preposition usage will help you achieve a higher score.

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