Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-07-27
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 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 favourite of shorter school holidays?**
In many countries, students have long summer holiday every year. Some people think it is very good for children. Other people think the holiday should be shorter. This essay will discuss both views and give my opinion.
On the one hand, long school holidays have many good things. Students can rest after long time of studying. They can spend more time with their family and friends. Some students travel to other places and some stay at home. They also can play sports, read books or learn new hobby. Because of this, many students feel happy and have less stress. They come back to school with more energy.
On the other hand, there are some reasons why people want shorter holidays. First, students can forget many things they learned at school. Teachers need spend more time to teach old lessons again. Also, some children only play games or watch videos all day. This is not good for their study. In addition, many parents are busy with work and they cannot always look after their children during long holiday.
In my opinion, long school holiday is good, but two months are too long. I think students need more rest, but they also need continue learning. A shorter holiday is better because students can relax and still remember what they learned in school.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.5 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the value of long holidays and the arguments for shorter ones. The position is clear, though the development of ideas is somewhat basic. For instance, the points about 'forgetting things' and 'parents being busy' are relevant but could be extended with more specific examples or deeper analysis to reach a higher band. The essay covers all requirements of the task, but the arguments remain at a general level, which limits the depth of the response.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0
The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. The use of cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', 'First', and 'In addition' helps guide the reader through the argument. However, the transitions are somewhat mechanical and repetitive. While the overall progression is coherent, the link between sentences could be more sophisticated to improve the flow of ideas. Paragraphing is used appropriately throughout the text.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. The student uses simple terms like 'good things', 'play games', and 'learn new hobby'. There is little evidence of less common lexical items or idiomatic language. While the meaning is always clear and there are no significant spelling errors, the range of vocabulary is limited, which prevents the essay from achieving a higher score in this criterion.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5
The student uses a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'long summer holiday' (missing article), 'long time of studying' (awkward phrasing), and 'need continue learning' (missing infinitive marker 'to'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to suggest a lack of control over more complex structures. Punctuation is generally accurate, but the overall grammatical range is somewhat restricted.
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