Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-13

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 6.5)

In many countries around the globe, schools remained closed for two or more months during summer holidays. Some people advocate the idea of long holidays while others are in favor of short holidays. This essay will discuss both views and provide reasons.

It is often believed that long summer vacations are important as they provide the opportunity for children to escape their exhausting school routine. It is a crucial time for them to develop hobbies outside their academic studies and involve in other activities such as art, swimming, and cooking. For instance, I started learned graphic designing during my holidays because I wanted to do something productive. Besides a hobby, it also opened so many job opportunities for me and helped me earn a freelance income by small projects. Furthermore, this is the time of the year which students anticipate so much because they get the chance to visit their relatives and other travel destinations to explore the world.

On the other hand, some people, especially parents are in favor of short summer holidays because they are concerned about their children who might lose interest in going to school after much long holidays of 2-3 months. Moreover, some parents complain that it is more likely that their children might get involve in unethical or illegal activities such as smoking, cybercrimes, betting, and robbery. As per reports more teenagers are involved in crimes related technology e.g. hacking, stalking. Also, people think that during holidays, kids spend too much time on social media platforms, which raised health concerns, so it is better to have fewer holidays not lasting over a month.

To sum up, the concerns of parents are right regarding the non-seriousness of today's generation, but summer holidays offer far more benefits, from developing hobbies to learning new skills. Therefore, I believe its advantages outweigh its disadvantages.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

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 generally well-developed. For instance, the personal example regarding graphic design effectively illustrates the benefits of long breaks, while the concerns about student behavior provide a balanced perspective. However, the essay could be improved by providing more specific evidence or examples for the arguments against long holidays, as the claims about 'cybercrimes' and 'robbery' are somewhat generalized. Overall, the response is relevant and meets the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the two main viewpoints. Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'On the other hand', and 'To sum up' are used to guide the reader through the argument. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing could be more varied. Nevertheless, the progression of ideas is clear, and the structure supports the overall argument well.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is sufficient for the task and allows for some flexibility. The student uses topic-specific terms like 'academic studies', 'freelance income', and 'social media platforms' appropriately. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'involve in other activities' (should be 'get involved in') and 'after much long holidays' (should be 'after such long holidays'). While the range is adequate, the essay lacks a wider variety of sophisticated or less common lexical items that would elevate the score to a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is a good attempt at using complex sentences, though some contain grammatical errors. For example, 'I started learned graphic designing' should be 'I started learning graphic design', and 'which raised health concerns' should be 'which raises health concerns'. Punctuation is generally accurate, but there are occasional slips in verb forms and preposition usage. Despite these errors, the meaning is always clear, and the grammar does not impede communication.

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