Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-06
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 5.0)
Education plays crucial role in shaping individuals and society. In many countries, the summer holidays close for two months or more at primary and secondary schools. This essay will examine both perspective before giving my own opinion.
On the one hand, schools should provide long holidays. This is because of it can help to improve communication skills. Long holiday enable students to spent lots of time with family and friends. It not only helps to improve communication skills, but it also helps to developed critical thinking. If schools provides long holidays. it will help to reduce both stress and anxiety. For instance, during Covid-19 pandemic, many schools has provided one or to month vacation. it helped students to improve social skills. In China , all schools provides long month holidays. It gives chance to learn other important activity such as dancing and sports activity. As a results, students know about other important activity which helps to make future bright
On the other hand, If schools provide shorter school holiday, it will easy for students to back their study.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, reaching only 178 words. This significantly impacts the development of ideas. While the essay attempts to address both parts of the prompt—the value of long holidays and the arguments for shorter ones—the discussion is superficial and lacks sufficient supporting evidence. The second body paragraph is particularly underdeveloped, consisting of only one sentence. To improve, you must expand your arguments with more detailed explanations and relevant examples, ensuring that each point is fully explored to meet the length requirement and provide a comprehensive answer to the task.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay is organised into paragraphs, and there is a basic attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand'. However, the progression of ideas is limited by the brevity of the response. Some transitions are mechanical, and the connection between sentences is occasionally weak, such as the abrupt shift in the second paragraph. To achieve a higher score, you should use a wider range of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence followed by supporting details that flow logically from one to the next.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is generally basic and repetitive. You rely on simple phrases like 'important activity' and 'improve communication skills' multiple times. There are also errors in word form, such as 'to developed' instead of 'to develop' and 'provides' instead of 'provide'. While the meaning is generally clear, the range of vocabulary is insufficient to demonstrate the flexibility required for higher bands. You should focus on learning collocations and using more precise academic vocabulary to express your ideas more effectively.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains frequent grammatical errors that affect the fluency of the text. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('schools provides', 'many schools has provided'), incorrect verb forms ('to developed'), and missing articles or prepositions ('during Covid-19 pandemic'). The sentence structures are mostly simple, with limited attempts at complex sentences. When complex structures are attempted, they often contain errors, such as 'If schools provides long holidays. it will help...'. To improve, you need to focus on basic sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, and the correct use of tense and punctuation.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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