Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-05

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)

Primary and secondary school are closed for two or more months in many countries. Holidays are the time when a person feels relaxed and have a plenty of time to enjoy things other than studies. Long holidays gives one an oppurtunity to go on vacations and enjoy in a different envirnment. Moreover, it gives you freedom to explore nature more closely. By making memories you will cherish forever. In the furthermore paragraphs, i will elaborate my opinion on shorter school holidays.

Practically, it is proven that as humans tends to relax more they become careless. Productivity starts to fade away. Balance should be maintained here. In my opinion, people works best when they have some kind of pressure on them. But on the other hand, rest is important as well. Short term holidays will give them space to be at ease and they can focus on other things as well. For example, pending works, meetup with loved ones and hangouts with friends.

In addition to it, families in Pakistan gets feed up easily when holidays are longer. They want their childern to go away for sometimes so they can focus on themselves. Students who are serious about their lives would not want to waste their precious time on unwanted holdidays. Rather they prefer to be busy learning stuff of their interest. They are always onto something utilizing their time.

Long holidays gives you more relaxation but it has more drawbacks then shorter holidays.

To summarise this, i favour shorter holidays than longer ones because less holidays will beneficial a human being more.

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. For instance, the point about families in Pakistan being 'fed up' is a specific observation but lacks a broader analytical context. The position is clear, but the arguments are presented in a somewhat disjointed manner, and the conclusion is quite brief. To reach a higher band, you should aim to expand on your points with more detailed explanations or examples that illustrate the impact of these holidays on academic performance or student well-being, rather than just listing general benefits.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'In the furthermore paragraphs' and 'In addition to it'. The progression of ideas between sentences is sometimes abrupt, making the flow feel a bit disjointed. While there is an overall logical arrangement, the transitions between the benefits of long holidays and the arguments for shorter ones could be smoother. Improving the variety and accuracy of linking words would significantly enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and range expected at higher bands. There are several instances of word-choice errors or non-standard collocations, such as 'feed up' instead of 'fed up', 'utilizing their time' used in a slightly unnatural way, and 'less holidays will beneficial'. These errors do not prevent understanding, but they do limit the score. To improve, focus on learning more sophisticated vocabulary related to education and time management, and pay closer attention to common collocations and word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('families... gets', 'humans tends'), incorrect verb forms ('people works'), and punctuation errors. While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors indicate a lack of control over more complex structures. To improve, you should focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring that your sentence construction is grammatically sound before attempting more complex, varied structures. Proofreading for common errors like pluralization and verb tense consistency is essential.

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

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