Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-07
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)
In this modern era, in several countries ,the primary and secondary schools close for two months or more in summer holidays. This essay will discuss why this trend is increasing and why it is beneficial.
On the one hand , there are many value on long school holidays is beneficial for students are interested in extracurricular activities such as football, cricket and many other go for studying self-defense classes such as karate, kung fu. Students of primary and secondary may get sufficient time for recovering the subjects by referring the part were they are weak, this help them to score more marks as compared to the previous year. For example in India, the students who are weak at their academic, has been improved by the long vacation provided by government. More than two or more summer holidays implemented by government has shown a great change in students academics and extracurricular activities.
On the flip side, short term vacations helps students to start early on their studies, so they can byheart the topics while in the schools which also has a opportunity for asking any doubt before the main exams teachers to get good score academics. For instance, short term summer vacations has helped many students to clear their doubts and the number of top scorers has been increased this year.
To conclude with, many countries primary and secondary schools close for two months or more in the summer holidays. There are many benefits and importance in long term and short term summer vacations for the students of primary and secondary.
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 addresses both parts of the prompt, discussing the value of long holidays and the arguments for shorter ones. However, the development of ideas is limited. The points regarding extracurricular activities and academic recovery are mentioned but lack sufficient depth or specific, well-explained examples. The argument for shorter holidays is also somewhat repetitive and lacks a clear logical progression. The position is generally clear, but the essay would benefit from more detailed analysis and a more sophisticated exploration of the implications of each approach to meet higher band requirements.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the flow between and within them is often mechanical. While transition markers like 'On the one hand' and 'On the flip side' are used, they are sometimes applied awkwardly. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the second paragraph where the connection between the example and the main point is disjointed. The conclusion is repetitive and does not effectively synthesise the arguments presented. Improving the use of cohesive devices to create smoother transitions between sentences would significantly enhance the overall coherence of the writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for a higher score. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice, such as 'byheart the topics' and 'referring the part were they are weak'. The repetition of basic terms like 'students', 'summer holidays', and 'primary and secondary schools' limits the lexical variety. To improve, you should focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and collocations, and ensure that words are used in their correct context to avoid confusion.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede readability. There are issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'the students who are weak... has been improved'), incorrect preposition usage, and sentence structure errors. Complex sentence structures are attempted but often contain errors, such as 'the students who are weak at their academic, has been improved'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma placement. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic and complex structures prevents a higher score. Focusing on sentence construction and proofreading for basic errors is essential.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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