Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

Many countries provide two months summer vacations in schools, every year. while this vacations offers a several benefits, some people believe that snorter break would be more effective. This essay will discuss both views in the following paragraphs.

To begin with, one of the major reason for long school holidays is that it gives relax to the students after a stressfull academic year. This also reduces the stress, anxiety and mental pressure of the students. In addition, due to long school holidays students can develop practical skills like sports, music, coding, dancing and volunteering. For instance, they can learn a foreign language during vacation times which helps them to improve their communication skills.

To add further, the negative consequences of long school holidays is that they forget their academic lessons. The students have to face learning loss and feel difficult to recharge their batteries again. Moreover, due to shorter school holidays it will be easier for students to maintain their study schedule and to remember the lessons . This will result into better academic performance of students and also their will regular revision of students. To cite an example, students who return after a very long break often needs several weeks to retain the knowledge about old topics before learning new ones.

In conclusion, long school holidays provide relaxation and personal skill development. However, shorter holidays can help students to maintain their academic progress and discipline. I believe a balanced approach, with shorter breaks throughout the year would be the most beneficial.

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. The position is clear, and the ideas are relevant. However, the development is somewhat limited. For instance, the point about 'learning loss' is a strong argument, but it could have been expanded with more specific examples of how this impacts long-term academic outcomes. The essay covers all requirements, but the depth of analysis is consistent with a Band 6.0, as some points remain slightly superficial. A more thorough exploration of the societal or economic implications of these holiday structures would have elevated the response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. The use of cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'In addition', and 'To conclude' helps guide the reader through the argument. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or repetitive, such as 'To add further', which is not a standard idiomatic phrase. Referencing is generally clear, but the flow between sentences could be smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall structure is easy to follow, meeting the requirements for a Band 6.5 or 7.0. I have awarded a 6.5 due to the slightly formulaic nature of the linking phrases.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. While the student uses some relevant terms like 'academic performance' and 'communication skills', there is a reliance on basic vocabulary. There are also minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'gives relax to the students' (should be 'provides relaxation') and 'result into' (should be 'result in'). The range is sufficient to convey meaning, but the lack of more sophisticated or 'less common' lexical items prevents a higher score. To improve, the student should focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors that affect the quality of the writing. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('students... often needs') and article errors ('a several benefits'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but there are some awkward phrasings, such as 'their will regular revision of students'. The student attempts complex sentences, but these often contain errors. The frequency of these errors suggests a Band 6.0, as they do not impede communication but are noticeable throughout the text.

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