Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

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

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)

It is a point of debate that in many countries, schools are close for more than a month for summer break. A significant chunk of community welcome conceptions, whereas the remaining members oppose this idea. I entirely this phenomenon and explain why in the paragraph below

There are numerous arguments which go along with my personal perspective. The first and most prominent lies in the fact that education play a significant role in an individual's life. While in many schools, students have summer holidays for two months or more. Long holidays help both teachers and students in several ways. Teachers can organise their long trips for freshen their mind, which is not possible in the study time. Nowadays, there is an enough burden on teachers and students, which sometimes leads to exploit their mental health and gives them stress. So, these summer breaks can give relief them from workload and busy schedule. However, students can enroll in extracurricular activities as swimming, cricket, basketball, and many more.

On the other hand, there are indispensable arguments which are incumbent to be discussed. Despite of this, there are also some disadvantages of long school holidays. For instance, some students forgot their course structure which they taught at school before their holidays due to short-term memory. However, such types of students get lower academic results which demotivates them. Hence, the governments should take some necessary steps for the students for shorten their school holidays.

All the above discussed assertions lead to the conclusion that people enjoy numerous benefits due to the trends. So, in my opinion, it would be wise enough to say that school holidays should be shorter for the benefit of students.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the value of long holidays and arguments for shorter ones. However, the development is inconsistent. While you mention benefits like stress relief and extracurricular activities, the explanation of why shorter holidays are beneficial is somewhat superficial, focusing primarily on memory loss. The introduction is also problematic; you state 'I entirely this phenomenon', which is grammatically incomplete and fails to clearly state your position on the debate. To reach a higher band, ensure that your position is clearly articulated in the introduction and that each argument is supported by more detailed reasoning or specific examples rather than just listing points.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For example, 'Despite of this' is used incorrectly to introduce a new point, and 'Hence' is used to connect ideas that do not logically follow from the previous sentence. The transition between the benefits of long holidays and the arguments for shorter ones is abrupt. Improving the variety and accuracy of linking words (e.g., using 'consequently', 'furthermore', or 'conversely') would significantly improve the flow and logical progression of your arguments.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but there are several instances of awkward phrasing and incorrect collocations. Phrases like 'significant chunk of community' and 'incumbent to be discussed' sound unnatural in this context. There are also errors in word choice, such as 'exploit their mental health' (which implies taking advantage of, rather than damaging) and 'for freshen their mind'. To improve, focus on learning common collocations and using more precise academic vocabulary. Avoid over-using complex-sounding words if you are not certain of their exact meaning or usage in a specific context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('education play'), missing words ('give relief them'), and incorrect preposition usage ('Despite of'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focus on proofreading for basic errors such as verb forms and prepositions, and try to ensure that your complex sentences are constructed accurately.

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