Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

In many countries, primary and secondary schools give two or more months holidays to student during summer, while some schools give shorter holidays 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 like 2 or more months during summer season so, it can benefits for children like they can more enjoy and remain mentally fresh during holidays because they do not require any kinds of remember things and also no heavy pressure workload like homework or other things. After that, when they come to school so that time they feel remain fresh and do their work well. For example, during a survey one school gives 3 months of holidays to children after that, when school start, so that time children do more focus than other schools, which give less holidays to students.

On the another hand, if schools give short holidays to children so it has some disadvantages like, children not prepare mentally because lake of holidays. They have not enough time to stay with their parents and they can not go to outside during vacation so they feel stress or bored in home. For example, some schools give less holidays so sometimes, children do not pay attention on their study and result can be come lower compare to other schools which give more holidays.

In my opinion, schools should be give more holidays to children for prepare both side mentally and physically and good result come in their exam.

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 of ideas is limited. The arguments are repetitive and rely on generalisations rather than specific, well-supported reasoning. For instance, the claim that children 'do not require any kinds of remember things' is vague and lacks depth. The position is clear, but the supporting examples, such as the mention of a 'survey', are not fully developed or convincing. To improve, you should provide more detailed explanations and concrete examples that clearly link the length of holidays to academic performance or student well-being.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. Phrases like 'After that' and 'On the another hand' are used incorrectly or awkwardly, which disrupts the flow of ideas. Additionally, the transition between sentences is sometimes abrupt, making the progression of arguments feel disjointed. While there is an attempt to use linking words, they are not always used with the flexibility or precision required for a higher band. Improving the variety and accuracy of your cohesive devices will significantly enhance the readability of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. You frequently use simple terms like 'things', 'good', and 'give', which limits the precision of your arguments. There are also noticeable errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'lake of holidays' (lack of) and 'result can be come lower' (results may be lower). To reach a higher band, you need to demonstrate a wider range of vocabulary, including less common lexical items and more precise collocations related to education and student development, while ensuring that your word choices are accurate and appropriate for an academic context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay relies heavily on simple sentence structures. While there are attempts at complex sentences, they are often marred by grammatical errors, such as 'schools should be give' (should give) and 'children not prepare mentally' (children are not prepared mentally). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. These frequent errors, while not always impeding communication, are a persistent feature of the text. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction and subject-verb agreement, and then gradually introduce more complex structures like relative clauses or conditional sentences, ensuring they are used accurately.

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

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