Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)
It is a common practice in all over the world that the educational institutions, especially primary and secondary schools, remain close for the month of June and July and sometimes August, as it is summer. The main advantage of having long school holidays is students have enough time to take part in the co-curricular activities because during school times they are unable to do so, as they are spending all their time for studying. However, the time span for the summer vacations should be reduced because it is difficult for many working parents to look after their children for so long. This essay will shed lights upon the benefits of both short and long-term summer holidays.
On the one hand, academic organizations closed for two or three months will provide extended period for students to engage themselves in their hobbies of choice. They have time to learn new skills, refresh their minds and get ready to start studying again. In this way, they are able to have practical experience in hand besides theoratical knowledge which they get from schools. For example, in New York, during summers, many clubs provide exclusive offers to attract youngsters to learn swimming or martial arts.
On the other hand, this long period will be hectic for working parents as it becomes unmanagable for them to balance the time for their family and the work. They have to hire nannies to take care of their children and it costs them a lot. Schoolchildren can be the cause of many domestic accidents because they are free and do not find any productive activities to engaged themselves. Besides, if young people remain out of schools for a long time, they will not behave well because now they do not have to follow a scheduled time-table. Their routine is disrupted and they do not practice discipline anymore. So, keeping these issures in mind, short-term holidays are preffered.
In conclusion, if long-term vacations are managed with planned activities and practices then these would prove beneficial for the future of the students. Otherwise, it will be the cause of stress and anxiety for the parents of these young agers.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the value of long holidays and the arguments for shorter ones. The position is clear throughout, and ideas are generally well-developed. For instance, the discussion on co-curricular activities and the challenges faced by working parents provides relevant support. However, the essay could be improved by further extending the arguments; for example, the point about 'domestic accidents' is a bit speculative and could be better linked to the need for supervision. Overall, the response is balanced and covers all requirements of the task effectively.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to guide the reader through the argument. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions between sentences within paragraphs could be more sophisticated to improve the overall cohesion. Referencing is generally clear, and the progression of ideas is logical throughout the text.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning clearly. There is an attempt to use less common items such as 'co-curricular', 'unmanageable', and 'theoratical' (noting the spelling error). However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and spelling, such as 'theoratical' instead of 'theoretical', 'issures' instead of 'issues', and 'preffered' instead of 'preferred'. While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more precise control over spelling and collocation to reach a higher band score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While there is an attempt at complex grammar, there are frequent errors in articles and prepositions, such as 'in all over the world' and 'spending all their time for studying'. Additionally, there are minor errors in subject-verb agreement and word forms, such as 'academic organizations closed' (should be 'closing') and 'young agers'. Despite these errors, the meaning remains clear throughout, and the grammatical mistakes do not significantly hinder the reader's understanding of the arguments presented.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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