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)

It is often argued in many nation that primary and higher-level schools provide longer summer vacations or even more than two month holidays for school children. Long school holidays has impact on students various ability in their study. However, students get back to their daily routine easily if short break vacation is given.

Initially, primary and secondary schools used to give longer vacation or even more than two months during summer to the children. In the past, the wheather used to be hot and people can not beat the heat easily as now moreover school provide longer holidays to protect students from hot weather. Due to advancement in technology schools used various modern mechine and equipment in order to protect children form heat strock and other condition related to heat. For instance; many primary and secondary school has install Air conditioner in the classroom.

On the other hand, Shorter school holidays often helps in student to get back to their normal daily routine. This can help in student ability to concentrate and focus on study since their mind does not get distracted by the vacations. Similarly, short vacation can aid children to get enough sleep and relax and enjoy their quality time with family as well as friends. For example, the survey done in school shows, students on short vacation often visit their grandama house or spend time with family.

In conclusion, we can see the fair comparison. longer holidays might make student more passive rather than with short break students. Yet, in some cases longer holidays can provide value to students life as we discussed in the essay.

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 limited. The explanation regarding the historical context of long holidays is relevant, but the argument for shorter holidays is less developed and relies on somewhat generic points about routine and sleep. The conclusion is brief and does not fully synthesize the arguments presented. To improve, you should aim to provide more detailed explanations and specific examples to support your points, ensuring that the position remains clear and consistent throughout the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. There is an attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'Initially', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion'. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the use of referencing is occasionally unclear. For instance, the transition between the historical context of heat and the modern technological solution is a bit abrupt. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph flows smoothly into the next would enhance the overall coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the range and precision required for a higher band. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'many nation' instead of 'many nations', 'various ability' instead of 'various abilities', and 'modern mechine' instead of 'modern machinery'. Additionally, 'grandama house' is informal and imprecise. To achieve a higher score, you should focus on using more sophisticated vocabulary and ensuring correct collocations, while also paying closer attention to spelling and word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the reader's understanding. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('Long school holidays has impact', 'school provide longer holidays'), article misuse ('the survey done in school'), and punctuation errors (the semicolon usage after 'For instance'). While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and refining your control over complex sentence structures will be beneficial.

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

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