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 nations, primary and secondary schools give children summer holidays for two months or more. I will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this given statement.

It can be clearly seen that school children get around two months or more of summer holidays. Children get extra leisure time that they can use to learn extracurricular activities. Additionally, they can learn about their new hobbies; for example, children learn music, arts and sports during summer vacation. Apart from that, they can join any self-defenses class because it will help them for future protection, most probably for girls. For instance, girls can join proper classes for judo or karate so they can learn basic combat, so in a difficult situation, they can fight back and defend themselves because in India several girls or boys want to learn more about this, but they do not get any kind of guidance and tend to waste their time on phones and other social media platforms. which create laziness.

On the other side, there was a belief that students do not get this much time or duration for holidays because they would get lazy and lack motivation. Nonetheless, it can be managed with proper self-discipline and strict parenting so they will not spoil their leisure time on unnecessary work, especially during holidays.

In conclusion, there are some drawbacks for students who have such long holidays, but it can be managed with proper rules and routine that instruct the children to use it in a proper way.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt, discussing the value of long holidays and the arguments for shorter ones. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention extracurricular activities and self-defense, the explanation remains quite brief. The second body paragraph, which addresses the arguments for shorter holidays, is underdeveloped and relies on a vague suggestion of 'strict parenting' rather than exploring educational or economic perspectives. To improve, you should aim to provide more detailed explanations and perhaps a concrete example for each point to ensure the response is fully developed rather than just listing ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some cohesive devices like 'Additionally,' 'Apart from that,' and 'In conclusion.' However, the transition between ideas is sometimes mechanical, and the flow within paragraphs could be smoother. For instance, the shift from discussing self-defense to the problem of phone usage is a bit abrupt. Additionally, the referencing in the second paragraph is slightly unclear, as the phrase 'On the other side' introduces a counter-argument that is not fully linked to the previous discussion. Improving the use of linking phrases will help create a more cohesive argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your meaning clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'extracurricular activities' and 'self-discipline.' However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'join any self-defenses class' (should be 'self-defense classes') and 'spoil their leisure time on unnecessary work.' To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise academic vocabulary and collocations, and ensure that word forms are used correctly in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate 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 example, 'there was a belief' should be 'there is a belief,' and 'which create laziness' is a sentence fragment that should be connected to the previous clause. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of periods where commas would be more appropriate. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and ensure that complex sentences are constructed accurately without creating fragments.

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