Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-07-30

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)

In many countries, students have summer holidays that last for two months or even longer. Some people think these long holidays are important, while others believe they should be shorter. This essay will discuss both views.

On the one hand, long school holidays have many advantages. First, students can relax after studying for a long time. They have less stress and can return to school with more energy. Second, children have more time to spend with their families. Many parents take their children on holiday during the summer, which helps families become closer. In addition, students can learn new skills, such as swimming, painting, or playing a musical instrument. These activities help them develop in different ways. For example, during the summer, I joined an English course and improved my speaking skills.

On the other hand, there are also good reasons to have shorter school holidays. A long break may cause students to forget what they have learned, so teachers need extra time to review old lessons when school starts again. Moreover, some parents have to work during the holidays and cannot stay at home with their children. This can be expensive because they need to pay for childcare or holiday camps. Shorter holidays with more breaks during the school year could solve this problem.

In conclusion, long summer holidays give students time to rest, enjoy family life, and learn new skills. However, shorter holidays could help students remember their lessons better and make life easier for working parents. I believe schools should keep summer holidays, but they could make them a little shorter and provide more short breaks during the year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both the value of long holidays and the arguments for shorter ones. The position is clear throughout, and the ideas are relevant. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat basic. For instance, the point about 'learning new skills' is supported by a brief personal example, but the argument regarding 'childcare costs' could have been expanded with more depth to reach a higher band. The essay maintains a consistent focus, but the depth of analysis remains at a functional level rather than a fully extended one.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central topic, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'In addition', and 'Moreover' are used effectively to link sentences and paragraphs. While the structure is sound, the range of cohesive devices is somewhat standard and repetitive. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall flow of the argument is coherent, meeting the requirements for a solid band 7.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The vocabulary is adequate and appropriate for the task. The student uses a range of topic-specific terms such as 'childcare', 'holiday camps', and 'develop in different ways'. While the vocabulary is accurate and allows for clear communication, it lacks the sophistication and 'less common' lexical items that would characterize a higher band score. There are no significant spelling or word-choice errors, but the range is somewhat limited to common, everyday language rather than more precise or academic terminology.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The student demonstrates a good command of simple and complex sentence structures. There is a mix of compound and complex sentences, such as 'Many parents take their children on holiday during the summer, which helps families become closer.' The grammar is generally accurate, with very few errors. While the range of structures is sufficient, the essay does not consistently demonstrate the 'frequent error-free sentences' combined with a wide variety of complex structures required for a band 8. It is a very clean and controlled piece of writing.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.