Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-01
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)
Schools from many countries practise the long holidays for children. There was huge importance of long vacations in children's lives. But at the same point there was also undeniable benefits of short holidays too. This essay will write about both the importance of long holidays and the benefits of shorter ones.
First of all, if the holidays were longer, students would get the chance to relax their minds and enjoy their childhood. For example, cct school gives about 2.5 months of summer holiday, and when those students return to school after the holiday they were full of energy and happy and this helps to make students more happy. Similarly, the students will have more time to spend with their grandparents or relatives for instance, longer holidays allow students to visit their grandparents who live in countrysides this increases the bond between grandparents and grandchildren who only get to meet a few times a year.
Although the longer holidays have a significant value in students' lives, short holidays also have their own benefits. A shorter holidays allows students to relax but not the time to let students forget about study for example, if the holidays were long, then students would forget about all the lessons they were taught. So, ain a shorter holidays students will not forget the lesson. Another benefit is for working parents for example, most of the parents in the USA are working, and the longe summer vacation makes it hard for the parents to work because they have to take care of their children at the same time.
In sum, the longer vacation have a very significant value in a student life as it allows to relax their mind and visit their grandparents. At the same time, shorter holidays also have their own importance.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the value of long holidays and the arguments for shorter ones. The ideas are relevant, such as the benefits of relaxation and family bonding for long holidays, and the prevention of learning loss and support for working parents for shorter ones. However, the development is somewhat basic. For instance, the point about working parents is introduced but not fully explored in terms of the broader societal or economic implications. To reach a higher band, you should aim to expand your supporting arguments with more depth and nuance, ensuring that each point is fully explained rather than just stated.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay is organised into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices like 'First of all', 'Similarly', 'Although', and 'In sum'. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or repetitive. Additionally, there are instances where the flow between sentences is slightly disjointed, such as the transition between the benefits of long holidays and the introduction of shorter ones. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would enhance the overall coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to express your ideas clearly. You use some topic-specific vocabulary like 'vacations', 'childhood', 'relatives', and 'lessons'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'practise the long holidays' instead of 'have long holidays' or 'make students more happy' instead of 'enhance student well-being'. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated synonyms and collocations that are appropriate for an academic context to demonstrate a wider range of lexical control.
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 frequent grammatical errors, particularly with verb tenses ('There was huge importance', 'if the holidays were longer, students would get') and articles ('the longe summer vacation'). Some sentences are also slightly awkward in their construction, such as 'a shorter holidays allows'. These errors do not significantly impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage will help improve your accuracy.
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