Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The increasing prevalence of shorter or longer summer holidays have become a widely discussed issue in recent years. This essay will examine the benefits of long school holidays and discuss the arguments of shorter breaks.

To begin with, one significant benefit of longer school holidays is that it offers more time for students to continue their outdoor activities. This is primarily because children spend considerable time in institutes in order to complete their academic tasks. They require enough time to relief their stress and recharge themselves during this period of time. As a result, they can refresh and entertain by participating in various activities. For instance, they can go with their families and friends to those spots, which provide enough activities to celebrate with their their beloved. Therefore, this factor plays a significant role in developing children mindset.

Turning to second question, one notable point of shorter school holidays is that learners can get sufficient time to prepare exams. This is mainly because students devote most of time in schools, where they should prepare their lesson more efficiently. This will help them to achieve better grades. Consequently, this short period of time brings various advantages for them in the long run. For example, students will concentrate on their studies to achieve their academic performance. Thus, this approach contributes to the development of their professional lives.

In conclusion, longer holidays have provided enough time to entertain themselves, regarding the second question, it will enhance their academic excellence for longer-terms. Overall, both approaches have their own benefits.

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 somewhat superficial. For example, the argument for shorter holidays focuses on 'preparing for exams' but lacks specific examples or deeper analysis of how this benefits the educational system or the student's long-term development. The position is clear, but the supporting points are repetitive and lack the depth required for a higher band. To improve, you should expand on your points with more specific, real-world examples or logical consequences rather than repeating the same general ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, and there is a logical progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'As a result', and 'In conclusion' to link your thoughts. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'This is mainly because'. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the phrase 'regarding the second question' in the conclusion, which feels a bit abrupt. Improving the variety of your linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would enhance the overall flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, but it lacks the range and precision expected at higher levels. You use some basic terms repeatedly, such as 'time' and 'activities'. There are also some minor collocation errors, such as 'relief their stress' (should be 'relieve') and 'developing children mindset' (should be 'developing children's mindsets'). To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to education and personal development, and pay closer attention to word forms and collocations to ensure your writing sounds more natural.

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 several grammatical errors, such as 'the increasing prevalence... have become' (subject-verb agreement error) and 'they can refresh and entertain' (missing object or reflexive pronoun). Punctuation is generally fine, but there are some awkward phrasings that affect the fluency of the text. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of transitive and intransitive verbs. Increasing the variety of complex structures while maintaining accuracy will help you achieve a higher score.

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

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