Band 8.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.5 · 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 8.5)

In many parts of the world, schools close for two months or more during the summer. While these extended holidays have clear benefits for students' personal development, there are also strong arguments for making school breaks shorter.

The main advantage of long summer holidays is that they give students time to rest after a stressful academic year. Children spend many months studying for exams and following strict daily schedules, so a long break helps them relax and avoid burnout. In addition, extended holidays allow young people to develop life skills outside the classroom. For example, students can spend time with family, travel, or learn new hobbies such as music and sports. These activities help children become more independent and well-rounded.

However, there are several reasons why shorter holidays might be better. Firstly, long breaks can lead to academic decline, often called "summer learning loss." Many students forget important concepts in subjects like mathematics and languages over two months, meaning teachers have to waste time reviewing old material at the start of the new term. Secondly, long holidays cause practical problems for working parents, who must pay for expensive childcare or take time off work to look after their children. Shorter, more frequent breaks throughout the year would reduce this financial pressure.

In conclusion, long summer holidays are beneficial because they give students time to recharge and pursue non-academic interests. Nevertheless, shorter holidays could prevent learning loss and make life easier for parents. Overall, a system with shorter summer breaks and more regular short holidays would be more effective.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

The response fully addresses all parts of the prompt. You have clearly identified the value of long holidays (rest, personal development) and provided logical arguments for shorter breaks (academic retention, childcare support). The position is consistent throughout, and the ideas are well-developed with relevant examples, such as the mention of 'summer learning loss' and the financial burden on working parents. The structure is balanced, ensuring both sides of the argument receive sufficient attention. To reach the highest band, you could further extend the discussion by briefly touching upon the potential impact on teacher professional development or school maintenance costs, but the current level of development is already very strong.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, and the transition between the benefits of long holidays and the arguments for shorter ones is smooth, using appropriate cohesive devices like 'However' and 'Firstly'. The use of referencing is precise, and the conclusion effectively synthesizes the main points without introducing new information. Paragraphing is used skillfully to manage the flow of the argument. The overall structure is coherent and easy to follow, meeting the requirements for a high band score.

Lexical Resource — Band 8.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary that is appropriate for an academic context. Phrases such as 'academic decline', 'financial pressure', and 'well-rounded' are used accurately. The vocabulary is natural and precise, allowing you to convey complex ideas without difficulty. While the range is sufficient and effective, incorporating a few more sophisticated collocations or topic-specific academic terms could elevate the response further. There are no spelling or word-choice errors that impede communication, and the language used is consistently appropriate for the task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.5

The essay displays a high level of grammatical control. You use a variety of complex structures, such as conditional clauses ('if... would') and subordinate clauses ('While these extended holidays...', '...who must pay for...'), with high accuracy. The majority of your sentences are error-free, and punctuation is used correctly throughout. There is a good mix of simple and complex sentence forms, which contributes to the fluency of the writing. The control over tense and subject-verb agreement is excellent, and there are no significant grammatical slips that distract the reader.

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