Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-03

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 5.5)

In many countries, primary and secondary schools close for two months or more in the summer holidays and there are certain values that it holds. When students are given long holidays, it gives them enough time to recover and recharge. It gives them free time to explore extra activities and spend quality time with their families. Students also get the opportunity to explore new hobbies which helps to shape them to be a better version of themselves. If long holidays are not given to students, they get worked up and exhausted because of same hectic schedule that students are bound to follow in schools.

There are plenty of arguments in favor of shorter school holidays. Some people think that when students are given such a long holiday, the flow and momentum that they had during study gets broken which makes it tougher for students to bounce back to the normal routine. Also once the students get disconnected from the school, they start forgetting what they were taught in school. Some students don't even want to go to school after they have been disconnected from school because it makes them lazy to wake up in the morning like they used to and it takes time for students to recover from vacation.

keeping above arguments in mind, some schools give projects and summer vacation home-works to students. The schools make sure that the homework is not just the regular sums or revising the taught chapters but also the creative projects that they can work on. For examples, they are asked to make fruits by using clay and paint them, make a house by using cardboard, do the planting, etc.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the value of long holidays and the arguments for shorter ones. However, the development is somewhat limited. While you mention benefits like 'recharging' and 'hobbies', these points could be expanded with more specific examples or deeper analysis. The second paragraph regarding shorter holidays is better developed, but the third paragraph shifts focus to school projects, which is only tangentially related to the arguments for shorter holidays. To reach a higher band, ensure that every paragraph directly supports one of the two main questions asked in the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into clear paragraphs, and there is a logical progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices such as 'also', 'once', and 'keeping above arguments in mind'. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. For instance, the start of the third paragraph is slightly abrupt and could be better linked to the previous discussion about the disadvantages of long breaks. The use of referencing is generally clear, but improving the variety of linking words would enhance the flow of your arguments.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'hectic schedule', 'momentum', and 'disconnected'. However, the vocabulary is somewhat basic and lacks the precision or sophistication required for higher bands. There are some minor issues with collocation, such as 'make fruits by using clay', which sounds unnatural. To improve, try to incorporate more academic collocations and precise synonyms to express your ideas more effectively without relying on simple phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'the flow and momentum that they had during study gets broken' (should be 'during their studies') and 'summer vacation home-works' (homework is uncountable). Additionally, there are some punctuation and article errors throughout the text. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles to improve accuracy.

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