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)

In many countries primary and secondary schools give childrens two months or more in summer holidays for childrens to travel and learn new things.To work on their hobbies and to practice what they learnt in schools.Even though schools have provided holidays to studnets they even set up summer camps as well. While some parents may argue holidays should be small, because they do not wants their children to have long gaps from education.They do not want their children sitting all day idle and disturb them in their household chores. In below paragraph I will share my experience and reason why schools give big holidays and why it is important for student and also share my some points on shorter school holidays.

Many schools provide students with two or more months of holidays in summer season. As summer is the only season, children can enjoy to their fullest without being worried about rain and wearing heavy clothes. In summer places which are usually closed during rainy season due to torential rain and in winter because of snow get opened for people to enjoy. Around the year students do not have much time in their plate because of studies and homework, so it becomes difficult for them to explore new hobbies and polish their existing skills.

While summer holidays are important, it should not be too long as it might break link of students of what they studied last year. Becuase of long gap it become difficult for student to follow schedule which they practice during school. Discipline is also hampered sometime as children tend to sleep and play more and focus less on education.

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 is somewhat superficial. While you mention hobbies and travel, these points are not fully extended with specific examples or deeper analysis. The introduction is a bit repetitive and lacks a clear, concise thesis statement. To reach a higher band, ensure that each body paragraph focuses on a single, well-developed idea supported by concrete evidence or logical reasoning. The conclusion is missing, which limits the overall impact of your argument.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the flow between ideas is often mechanical. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'While' and 'Because of', but the transitions between sentences are sometimes abrupt. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the opening paragraph where the connection between the introduction and the body is weak. Paragraphing is present, but the final paragraph is quite short and lacks a concluding summary, which affects the overall logical progression of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and variety required for higher bands. You rely on basic phrasing like 'learn new things' and 'enjoy to their fullest'. There are also some noticeable errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'disturb them in their household chores' and 'break link of students'. While the meaning is generally clear, the range is limited, and you should aim to incorporate more academic collocations and topic-specific vocabulary to demonstrate greater control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There is a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but the accuracy is inconsistent. You have frequent errors in basic grammar, including subject-verb agreement ('schools give childrens', 'it become difficult'), article usage, and punctuation (missing spaces after periods). Some sentences are fragmented or run-on, which hinders readability. While you attempt complex structures, these often contain errors that distract the reader. Focusing on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and sentence boundaries would significantly improve your score.

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

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