Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-07-26

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 today's modern world, the topic of the vacations provided by primary and secondary schools has attracted considerable attention. This essay will discuss both questions and give my personal opinion.

On the one hand, a long vacation is more flexible and convenient for students. Firstly, it improves physical and psychological health, which is essential for students to achieve high grades in academic period. This is mainly because it helps them to become more focused in studies since it is beneficial for students. Furthermore, a long vacation allows them to spend quality time with family members and friends, which assists them to become more consistent in studies. For example, in Bangladesh, primary and secondary institutions closed for 4 months because it helps students to spend quality time with relatives, which is highly effective for students. Consequently, although students have faced many academic challenges during vacation, I believe that spending time with family and gaining valuable experience by traveling to many places are more significant.

On the other hand, there are several arguments in favour of short school holidays. one key argument is that it retains students knowledge better, which is highly crucial for students. This happens because they stay connected with school, which helps them to gain valuable academic knowledge. In addition, it also assists them to do better academic performance because syllabus is completed by the teachers and students need to work on the subjects in which they have faced difficulties. Hence, a short holiday has many benefits because it offers many opportunities to students, which helps them to achieve high academic grades.

In conclusion, the topic of the long holidays given by educational institutions has become increasingly crucial. Although short holidays have many benefits, I believe that the long vacations are more beneficial because it can bring significant benefits in the long run. Therefore, a long vacation is essential for students since it brings many positive outcomes.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the value of long holidays and the arguments for shorter ones. The position is clear throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat repetitive. For instance, the argument about 'quality time' is mentioned multiple times without significant expansion. The example regarding Bangladesh is relevant but could be better integrated to explain the specific 'value' beyond just spending time with relatives. To reach a higher band, ensure that each paragraph introduces a distinct, well-supported point rather than restating similar concepts using different phrasing. Overall, the task is fully addressed, but the depth of analysis remains at a moderate level.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand,' 'Furthermore,' and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to guide the reader through the argument. However, the flow within paragraphs is occasionally mechanical, with a heavy reliance on repetitive sentence structures like 'which helps/assists them to...' and 'it is beneficial for students.' While the progression of ideas is clear, the overuse of certain linking phrases and the lack of varied transition techniques prevent a higher score. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the central topic of each paragraph is well-maintained.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There is an attempt to use academic vocabulary such as 'considerable attention,' 'psychological health,' and 'academic performance.' However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is noticeable repetition of words like 'students,' 'academic,' and 'benefits.' Some collocations are slightly unnatural, such as 'achieve high grades in academic period.' To improve, the student should focus on using a wider variety of synonyms and more precise academic collocations to avoid repetitive phrasing and demonstrate a more sophisticated command of the language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is consistently clear, there are recurring grammatical errors. For example, 'institutions closed for 4 months' should be 'are closed' or 'close,' and 'students knowledge' requires an apostrophe ('students' knowledge'). Additionally, there are minor issues with article usage and subject-verb agreement, such as 'syllabus is completed' (should be 'syllabi are' or 'the syllabus is'). Despite these errors, the grammar does not impede communication. To reach a higher band, the student should aim for greater accuracy in complex structures and pay closer attention to punctuation and verb tense consistency.

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