Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-04

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)

A growing number of countries are prioritising summer holidays for two or more months while some argue to the notion of shorter school holidays.

In many countries, primary and secondary schools close for two or more months in the summer holidays. During this period educational institution focuses on building top-notch infrastructure to foster smooth operations. Additionally, the longer period of holidays assist faculty to establish strong curriculum projects to deliver exceptional assistance and guidance to learners. Long school holidays enables juveniles to take a break from regular curriculum activities to build some pragmatic experiences as well as skills such as swimming, dancing. In scorching temperature, it would be demanding for students to focus on their academic syllabus. These holidays plays a vital role in shaping their creative life by allowing them to encounter unusual activities. For instance, a family excursion provides them a valuable exposure to the nature and external world. Another notable illustration of summer holidays could be advantageous where parent assisting and directing their younger ones to valuable lessons and morals which enhance their personality. The more children spends their time with their parent the more they will master the art of living the life. Consequently, this holiday period will have a longer impact on children's life.

On the other hand, some people support to the view of shorter holidays which can assist in building more disciplined life-style. They believe that short period of holidays can assist in syncing well with regular academic curriculum. While the longer period of holidays can deteriorate their routine and can mitigate the focus from studies. For instance ,students going to other countries for longer holidays can get attached with it.

To conclude, long holidays can lead to meaningful learnings and lessons if utilised well, while short holiday period cannot be sufficient. However this will develop disciplined life.

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 uneven. While you provide relevant points such as infrastructure improvements and personal development for long holidays, the arguments for shorter holidays are less developed and rely on vague assertions like 'deteriorate their routine'. The position is clear, but the explanation of ideas could be more detailed to reach a higher band. To improve, ensure that each supporting point is fully explained with specific examples or logical consequences rather than just stating them.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'Additionally', 'Consequently', and 'On the other hand', to link your points. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical, and there are instances where the flow is slightly disrupted by awkward phrasing, such as 'some people support to the view'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two main aspects of the prompt. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of cohesive devices and ensuring that the relationship between sentences is always smooth and natural.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, including phrases like 'foster smooth operations' and 'pragmatic experiences'. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'support to the view' (should be 'support the view'), 'parent assisting' (should be 'parents assisting'), and 'get attached with it'. These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the precision of your writing. To reach a higher band, focus on learning common collocations and ensuring that your word choices are contextually accurate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('educational institution focuses', 'holidays plays', 'children spends'), missing articles, and awkward preposition usage. While these errors rarely impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, pay closer attention to subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles, and try to proofread your work to catch these small but persistent slips.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.