Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

Taking a break from schools especially in elementary and secondary level can be beneficial to students and teachers. But the questions is how long? This topic sparks a lot of debate as many people have opposing opinions about it. On one hand, longer school breaks can promote positive impacts on students' and teachers' well being. On the other hand, having shorter shool holidays can offer sustainable intervals which can be helpful to retention of learning.

People who agree with long school holidays argue that educators and students will have time to focus on their mental and physical health. These two month hiatus can help teachers and pupils to decompress and relax. According to studies, mental fatigue among students was one of the common problems of nowadays due to the high expectations in assessments and testing. Also, teachers experienced depression and burnouts because of unrealistic demands of teaching. Having long summer breaks can also be vital for both educators and pupils to spend more time with their families and friends. Therefore, it is necessary to have a long vacations so teachers and students can be more prepare and productive for the next year.

In contrast, critics argue that having long breaks can cause harm rather than the opposite. It is believed that if students will have more time idling rather than focusing on their studies, they might experience plateau of learning. It is where the brain is so relaxed that it may have a hard time continuing a task. Aside from that, people can be more productive when breaks where divided into small chunks rather than waiting for long stretch of months. By doing so they will less likely feel exhausted as shorter breaks are offered hence avoiding fatigue and burnout.

In conclusion, both sides offer valuable points to consider. Those who are in favor with longer summer holidays give importance to uninterrupted rest from a very stressful environment where teachers and students can enjoy without worrying for deadlines. H those who argue emphasized on the consistency of learning and believing that offering short breaks are more efficient and can result to more productivity to both students and teachers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: 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 limited. For instance, the argument regarding 'plateau of learning' is introduced but could be supported with more specific examples or deeper analysis. The conclusion is a bit repetitive, merely restating the points rather than synthesizing them into a final thought. To reach a higher band, ensure that each body paragraph provides a more thorough exploration of the implications of the arguments presented.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two sides of the argument. Cohesive devices such as 'On one hand', 'In contrast', and 'Therefore' are used effectively to guide the reader. However, there are some minor issues with referencing and flow, such as the sentence 'H those who argue emphasized...', which contains a typo and slightly awkward phrasing. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear, and the essay maintains a consistent focus throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, with some attempts at less common items like 'hiatus', 'decompress', and 'plateau'. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and minor errors, such as 'of nowadays' (should be 'these days'), 'shool' (spelling error), and 'breaks where divided' (should be 'were'). While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. To improve, focus on more natural collocations and ensure accuracy in word forms and spelling.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is a good attempt at using complex sentences, such as 'It is believed that if students will have more time idling...'. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('teachers experienced depression' instead of 'experience') and tense inconsistencies. Punctuation is generally functional, but there are occasional slips. The errors are noticeable but do not cause significant difficulty for the reader. Increasing the frequency of error-free complex sentences would help improve the score in this criterion.

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