Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-11

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)

Junior and higher level educational institutions remain closed for more than two months in summer vacations in many countries. Some people hold a view in the favour of long holidays, while some believe that holidays should be shorter in duration at schools.

Firstly, longer holidays are very important for children, especially those who are in primary schools. This is because it can help kids to develop extra-curricular activities while spending time with family, and therefore they will learn different hobbies like travelling, painting, or sports. For instance, when I was a student of grade 5, I loved holidays because we used to travel in that time. Whenever we were back from vacations, my mind felt more fresh and excited every time to go back to school and tell my fellows about my holidays.

In contrast, shorter vacations also have a significant impact on students. Although students enjoy to get long holidays, but it can show a negative impact in pupils because they will loose their pace at studies and forget everything after the end of holidays. This can result in low grades and less focus on studies. For example, students don't want to continue their studies after a long break because they get used to it.

In conclusion, both longer and shorter breaks have their own advantages and disadvantages. But in my opinion, little kids should be given more holidays as compared to higher level students, so that they can also enjoy some time with their parents and learn family traditions and customs at home. Furthermore, high grade students have more responsibilities and assignments in contrast to junior or middle level students.

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. The position is clear throughout, and the ideas are relevant. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument regarding the negative impact of long breaks on academic performance is mentioned but not fully explored with specific examples or deeper analysis. The conclusion introduces a new nuance—differentiating between primary and higher-level students—which is a good point but appears late in the essay. To reach a higher band, you should expand on your arguments with more detailed explanations or broader societal examples.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Firstly', 'In contrast', and 'Furthermore', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. For example, the connection between the second and third sentences in the second paragraph is a bit abrupt. Additionally, the use of referencing could be more precise to avoid repetition. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate and the progression of ideas is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the message to be conveyed clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'extra-curricular activities', 'academic performance', and 'responsibilities'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'loose their pace at studies' (should be 'lose their academic momentum') and 'students enjoy to get long holidays' (should be 'enjoy having long holidays'). The range is sufficient but lacks the sophistication or precision required for higher bands. Focusing on more precise collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing would improve your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are recurring grammatical errors. For instance, 'students enjoy to get' is an incorrect verb pattern, and 'loose' is a common spelling error for 'lose'. There are also minor punctuation and phrasing issues, such as 'my mind felt more fresh' (should be 'fresher'). While you attempt complex sentences, they are not always error-free. To improve, focus on mastering subject-verb agreement and refining your use of complex structures to ensure they are accurate and natural.

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

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