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)

For decades, schools have been giving summer holidays to the students the especially in hotter countries to prevent the students from heat-stroke while some schools are against this activity due to some genuine reasons. I strongly agree with those who support shorter school holidays for some reasons.

Initially, primary and secondary schools have been closing in the extreme hot months of summer because they argue that they want to protect students from extreme heat which can cause serious health problems. They also claim that students take less interest in studies due to severe weather conditions and transport is also a serious issue in hot days in underdeveloped countries. Schools also claim that these long holidays are beneficial for physical health of the students because they can participate in different sports activities and hobbies. For example, in many South Asian countries, schools usually give students more than two months off in summer so that they can participate in extra-curricular and recreational activities for fun and rejuvenation.

Secondly, some schools argue that longer holidays can cause students to lose interest in their studies and also schools may fail to complete the syllabus of the semester which ultimately negatively affect their academic progress. These schools always demand shorter holidays from the government for these reasons. For instance, in some countries, schools have started summer camps during summer holidays for one month to reduce the holidays period and to cover their syllabus which is giving better results in these countries.

In conclusion, I reached this point that the longer summer holidays are beneficial for tropical regions to keep the students protected and healthy, while shorter holidays keep learners more focused and punctual in the long-run. Hence I support both the arguments equally.

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 of ideas is somewhat superficial. While you mention health and extracurricular activities, these points could be expanded with more specific examples or deeper analysis. Your position is stated in the introduction, but the conclusion is slightly contradictory; you state you 'strongly agree' with shorter holidays in the introduction, but then conclude by saying you 'support both the arguments equally.' This inconsistency weakens the clarity of your position. To improve, ensure your stance remains consistent throughout the essay and provide more detailed explanations for your arguments.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Initially,' 'Secondly,' and 'In conclusion' to guide the reader. However, the transition between ideas within paragraphs is sometimes mechanical. For instance, the shift from discussing health to transport in the first body paragraph feels abrupt. Additionally, the use of referencing could be more sophisticated to improve the flow. While the overall progression is clear, the essay would benefit from a wider variety of linking words and more nuanced transitions to achieve a higher band score.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'rejuvenation,' 'extracurricular,' and 'academic progress.' However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and minor collocation errors, such as 'giving summer holidays to the students' (should be 'granting' or 'providing') and 'reduce the holidays period' (should be 'reduce the holiday period'). You rely on some repetitive phrasing, such as 'schools argue' and 'schools claim.' To improve, try to incorporate more precise synonyms and collocations to express your ideas with greater sophistication and variety.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that persist. For example, 'the students the especially in hotter countries' contains an unnecessary article and awkward phrasing. There are also issues with subject-verb agreement and article usage, such as 'beneficial for physical health of the students' (missing 'the') and 'negatively affect their academic progress' (should be 'negatively affects'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy will help.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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