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 are 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 performance. 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

You have addressed all parts of the prompt, discussing both the value of long holidays and the arguments for shorter ones. Your position is clear from the introduction and maintained throughout the essay. The ideas are relevant and generally well-supported, such as the mention of 'momentum' and 'parental supervision'. To reach a higher band, ensure that your examples are slightly more detailed; for instance, when discussing sports, you could briefly mention how this contributes to physical health or social skills. Overall, the response is well-balanced and directly answers the question.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use cohesive devices effectively, such as 'First and foremost', 'In addition', and 'On the other hand', which helps the reader follow your argument. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each paragraph focusing on a central theme. The progression of ideas is smooth, and referencing is clear throughout. To improve, you could vary your linking phrases slightly more to avoid a somewhat mechanical feel, but the current structure is already quite effective for a clear, coherent response.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with precision. Phrases like 'tedious studying process', 'counterproductive effects', and 'maintain students' momentum' show good control of topic-specific language. There are no significant spelling errors, and your word choices are generally accurate. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations or less common lexical items, such as 'academic burnout' instead of 'take a rest from the stressful academic environment' or 'sedentary lifestyle' when discussing phone addiction.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. Most of your sentences are error-free, and your control over punctuation is good. There are occasional minor slips, such as 'under the circumstances that they do not have', which could be more naturally phrased as 'in circumstances where they lack'. However, these errors do not impede communication. You show a good grasp of complex grammar, such as conditional structures ('if schools did not give...'). Continued practice with more varied complex sentence forms will help you reach the higher bands.

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