Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-10

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)

In many countries, primary and secondary schools give two or more months holidays to student during summer, while some schools give shorter holiday to children in summer. Both perspective have advantages and disadvantages. I will discuss both views and give my opinion in further paragraph.

On the one hand, schools give long time holidays to children about 2 or more moths during summer season so, it is advantages for children like they can more enjoy and remain mentally fresh during holidays because they do not require any kinds of work and also no heavy pressure workload like homework or other things. After that, when they come to school so that time they feel mentally free and doing their work well. For example, one school gives 3 months holidays to children during summer and

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response is significantly under the 250-word minimum requirement, which severely impacts the ability to develop ideas. The essay fails to address the second part of the prompt regarding arguments in favour of shorter holidays, as the text cuts off abruptly. Because the response is incomplete and lacks the necessary depth to explore the topic, it does not meet the requirements for a higher band. To improve, you must ensure you provide a full, balanced discussion for both questions asked in the prompt and meet the minimum word count to allow for sufficient development of your arguments.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay shows some attempt at logical organization with an introduction and a paragraph discussing the first point. However, the abrupt ending prevents any assessment of overall progression or paragraphing. Cohesive devices are used in a very basic and repetitive manner (e.g., 'On the one hand', 'After that'). The lack of a conclusion and the incomplete nature of the second paragraph make it difficult to follow a coherent argument. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure each paragraph has a clear topic sentence followed by supporting evidence and a concluding thought.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and repetitive, relying on basic terms such as 'holidays', 'children', and 'work'. There are noticeable errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'give two or more months holidays' instead of 'have two or more months of holiday' and 'mentally fresh'. The range is insufficient to express complex ideas effectively. To improve, you should aim to incorporate more academic vocabulary related to education and time management, and focus on using collocations correctly to sound more natural and precise in your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'Both perspective have' (should be 'perspectives'), 'it is advantages' (should be 'advantageous'), and 'when they come to school so that time they feel'. The sentence structures are mostly simple, and attempts at complex sentences are often faulty or awkward. Punctuation is also inconsistent. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, correct word forms (adjectives vs. nouns), and practice constructing more complex sentences using subordinating conjunctions while ensuring they remain grammatically accurate.

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

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