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)

Most of the countries in the world give a long duration holidays to their primary and secondary school students especially in summer season.

Although it's very old trend of giving a long term vacation in summer in majority of countries of world and it was started long ago due to unbearable summer season.

Vacations are valuable.As students get free time to spend with family and to meet their relatives in vacations..One more interesting thing is planning of tours to new places of countryside or another land which actually give them a more tremendous chance of getting real life knowledge instead of bookish knowledge.Some students also enroll themselves in some useful courses just as in computer courses,art classes, singing or dancing courses to make them strengthen in their weaker ares.Some also learn to cook dishes or other valuable life skills in these vacation just because they have plenty of free time.

Although some people are not in favor because they think students get spoil and waste a lot of their time on screen.In addition students become indiscipline in their daily routine just because they have plenty of free time.I personally have observed this case in my neighbors that their children have no specific routine to follow up and die to this they have been wasting their time and making troubles for their parents.So they think holidays should be shorter than the usual longer one.

In my opinion as the weather is becoming harder and harder.Holidays should remain longer but schools should give some different structured plans for vacations.Every parent can adopt the plan of their own choice and convenience.plan should be precise and budget friendly thus making it feasible for parents to adopt.Hence students can spend their vacations purposeful without presenting a lot of disturbance and wasting of time.

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 example, the benefits of holidays are listed as a series of activities (tours, courses) without deep analysis of the developmental or psychological impact. Similarly, the arguments for shorter holidays focus on screen time and lack of routine, which are relevant but could be expanded with more sophisticated reasoning. The position is clear, but the conclusion introduces a new suggestion (structured plans) rather than synthesising the arguments presented. To reach a higher band, ensure each point is fully extended with clear explanations and specific examples.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or repetitive. For instance, the transition between ideas within paragraphs is sometimes abrupt, such as the jump from 'tours' to 'useful courses'. There are also issues with punctuation, specifically the misuse of periods (e.g., 'vacations..One') and the lack of spaces after punctuation, which disrupts the flow. While the progression of ideas is generally logical, the lack of sophisticated linking words makes the writing feel somewhat disjointed. Improving the variety of transition signals would significantly enhance the coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. You rely on basic phrasing such as 'give a long duration holidays' and 'make them strengthen in their weaker ares'. There are also some awkward collocations and word choice errors, such as 'bookish knowledge' (academic knowledge is preferred) and 'students get spoil' (should be 'spoiled'). While the meaning is clear, the range of vocabulary is limited, and there is little evidence of less common or idiomatic language. To improve, focus on using more precise academic collocations and ensuring correct 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 that occasionally impede readability. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('students get spoil'), article usage ('in majority of countries of world'), and sentence fragments or run-on sentences. For example, 'As the weather is becoming harder and harder.Holidays should remain longer' is grammatically incorrect. Punctuation is also a significant area for improvement, as there are several instances of missing spaces after periods and incorrect capitalization. While the meaning is generally conveyed, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents a higher score.

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

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