Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-07-28

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 7.5)

A large number of countries give summer break to primary and secondary level schools for two or more than two months. This essay will provide both the value of summer holidays and the arguments which side with the people arguing to reduce summer break. I strongly disagree with the people demanding the shorter holidays.

Long school holidays play a vital role in the development of a child as it is essential for students to take a break from the studies, so they can spend some quality time with family, go on vocation, participate in extracurricular activities. As a result, they would be more physically and mentally active, which eventually will help them to live a healthy lifestyle. Furthermore, this time will provide them opportunities to develop some useful hobbies.

In contrast to this, some people believe that summer holidays should be shorter, as long break from studies can distract students. They can be occupied by technical gadgets, such as smartphones or tablets which can harm their mental and physical well-being. For instance, excessive use of these devices can weaken their eye-sight and can negative affect their lifestyle. In addition to this, public perspective is that this much free time will provide children enough time to get addicted to online games which in result will affect their grades.

According to my perspective, long summer break is necessary for student’s mental as well as physical health. They can relax their mind in this time and they don’t need to stress about studies anymore. They can play outdoor games, take Art classes or learn some skill which will help them in their future.

In conclusion, summer break has a key role in development of children’s brain and finding their interests. Some people believe that two or more than two months holidays is a bit too much and it can also have some negative consequences which is true to some extent, but I believe that it is necessary to give students a break from studies so that they can get time to relax and Pursue activities according to their interests.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, identifying both the value of long holidays and the arguments for shorter ones. The position is clear throughout, and the ideas are generally well-developed. For example, you effectively contrast the benefits of extracurricular activities with the potential risks of excessive screen time. To reach a higher band, ensure that your arguments are balanced more evenly; the section on the value of holidays is slightly more developed than the counter-arguments. Additionally, ensure your introduction clearly outlines the structure of the essay to guide the reader more effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and you use cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'In contrast to this', and 'In conclusion' to link your points. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing could be more precise in places. For instance, the transition between the benefits of holidays and the counter-arguments is clear, but the flow within the third paragraph could be improved by using more varied linking phrases to connect the negative effects of gadgets to the broader issue of academic performance.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your ideas with precision. Phrases like 'physically and mentally active', 'well-being', and 'excessive use' are used appropriately. There are some minor errors in word choice, such as 'go on vocation' (should be 'vacation') and 'can negative affect' (should be 'can negatively affect'). To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations and less common lexical items to demonstrate a wider range. Overall, your vocabulary is adequate for the task and does not impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this level. While many sentences are error-free, there are some recurring grammatical slips, such as 'two or more than two months holidays' (should be 'two-month or longer holidays') and 'the public perspective is that' (should be 'the public perspective is that...'). Punctuation is generally accurate, though there are occasional missing articles. Your control of grammar is good, and these minor errors do not cause difficulty for the reader, but more consistent accuracy in complex structures would elevate your score.

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