Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-02

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, schools will be closed during summer and winter holidays. Students therefore can take a rest from the stressful academic environment and try to learn something that they are more interested in. However, some argue that governments ought to cut the length of school holidays in order to protect students' persistence.

First and foremost, it must be admitted that the value of long school holidays is significant as having a rest enables learners to have more energy. For instance, if schools did not give students any time to play, young people might not be able to bear the tedious studying process, which would have counterproductive effects for students' academic lives. In addition, as compared to the rigid schedule provided by school, teenagers can choose what and when they want to study flexibly, especially if they want to learn some sports that are not taught in school.

On the other hand, proponents for shorter school holidays believe that long school holidays might have a negative impact on students' momentum, which helps young learners study consistently, and that students might become addicted to their phones under the circumstances that they do not have enough parental supervision. To illustrate this, after staying at home for two or even three months, students are likely to get used to the relaxing environment and consequently do not want to accept the fact that they still need to go back to school, indirectly affecting their academic performence. Furthermore, unlike studying in school where teachers have to pay attention to every student, staying at home may tempt students to use their phones without limit as their parents usually still need to work during the same holiday.

In conclusion, while long holidays enable students to take a rest and have opportunities to get into more hobbies, shorter holidays can maintain students' momentum and prevent them from being addicted to electronic devices.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the value of long holidays and the arguments for shorter ones. The position is clear throughout. The ideas are relevant and generally well-supported, such as the mention of 'momentum' and 'parental supervision'. However, the development could be slightly more sophisticated; for instance, the argument regarding 'sports' is a bit brief. Overall, the response is balanced and meets the requirements of the task effectively, providing a clear structure that covers all aspects of the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. Cohesive devices such as 'First and foremost', 'In addition', 'On the other hand', and 'To illustrate this' are used appropriately to link ideas. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the two main viewpoints. The flow is smooth, and the relationship between sentences is generally clear, which contributes to a coherent reading experience.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The vocabulary is sufficient for the task and allows for clear communication. You use some good collocations like 'stressful academic environment', 'counterproductive effects', and 'academic momentum'. There are a few minor issues, such as 'performence' (spelling) and 'under the circumstances that' (which is slightly wordy). While the range is adequate, incorporating a few more precise or academic synonyms would elevate the score. Overall, the lexical choices are accurate and appropriate for the context of the essay.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

You demonstrate a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are error-free, and your control of grammar is generally strong. There are some minor slips, such as 'proponents for' (usually 'proponents of') and the spelling error 'performence'. However, these errors are infrequent and do not impede communication. The use of conditional structures ('if schools did not give...') and relative clauses shows a good command of grammatical range. The punctuation is generally accurate throughout the text.

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