Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

In many countries, schools close for two months or more during the summer. While long school holidays can provide several benefits for students, there are also arguments in favour of shorter breaks.

One major value of long school holidays is that they give students sufficient time to rest and recover after a demanding academic year. Continuous studying can be mentally tiring, so an extended break allows children to relax and spend time with their families. Long holidays can also be particularly useful in countries with extremely hot summers. For example, in parts of India, temperatures can become very high during May and June, making it uncomfortable and sometimes unsafe for children to travel to school or remain in poorly ventilated classrooms. Therefore, a long summer break can protect students from extreme weather while giving them time to return to school refreshed.

However, there are several arguments in favour of shorter school holidays. The most obvious is that students may forget some of the knowledge and skills they acquired during the academic year if they remain away from their studies for several months. Shorter breaks would allow students to maintain their learning habits and require less revision when they return to school. Another benefit is that shorter holidays could make childcare easier for working parents. When children are at home for an extended period, parents may need to arrange expensive childcare or take time off work.

In conclusion, long summer holidays allow students to rest, spend time with their families and avoid extreme weather. Nevertheless, shorter holidays may help students retain their academic knowledge and reduce difficulties faced by working parents. Therefore, both approaches have clear benefits, depending on the needs of students and their families.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt effectively. You have clearly identified the value of long holidays, such as rest and protection from extreme weather, and provided logical arguments for shorter holidays, including academic retention and childcare convenience. The position is clear throughout, and the ideas are well-supported with relevant examples, such as the mention of extreme heat in India. To reach a higher band, you could further extend the development of your arguments by exploring the long-term societal or economic implications of these school structures, rather than focusing primarily on the immediate practical benefits for students and parents.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the progression of ideas is smooth. You use a variety of cohesive devices effectively, such as 'One major value', 'However', and 'In conclusion', which help guide the reader through your argument. The referencing is clear, and the paragraphing is appropriate. To improve, ensure that the transition between the two main body paragraphs is slightly more nuanced to emphasize the contrast between the two viewpoints more dynamically.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with precision. Phrases like 'demanding academic year', 'maintain their learning habits', and 'extended period' are used accurately. The vocabulary is natural and appropriate for an academic context. While the range is good, it is not particularly wide or sophisticated. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more precise, less common collocations or academic terminology, such as 'academic regression' instead of 'forget some of the knowledge' or 'mitigate the burden' instead of 'make childcare easier'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The essay displays a good control of grammatical structures. You use a mix of simple and complex sentences, such as the conditional structure in 'if they remain away from their studies' and the participial phrase in 'making it uncomfortable'. The grammar is largely accurate, and there are no significant errors that impede communication. To move into the higher bands, aim to incorporate a wider variety of complex grammatical structures, such as inversion or more sophisticated relative clauses, and ensure that your sentence variety is consistently high throughout the entire response.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.