Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Primary and secondary educational institutions in some nations give two months or more summer holidays. The necessity of prolonged school closure is the idea that students would engage in more extracurricular activities for better cognitive development. However, there are debates that favour shorter holidays pointing out the disadvantages of prolonged disconnection from fundamental education on students lives.

In order to improve students' intellectual capability, extracurricular activities need to be introduced beside bookish knowledge and for that many schools see long summer holidays as a valuable decision. During this time, students get to spend more time with their families, go on tours, explore new place, meet new people, learn something new or maybe pick up a hobby, which makes excited and think beyond their limitations. Because when people experience changes they enjoy, it really broadens the horizon of their minds. For instance, students usually are busy during school days which make them tired to focus on an extracurricular activity after all the academic pressure but when they are on holidays they tend to learn new things that help their growth.

Nevertheless, opinions in favour to shorten holidays are quite popular, as long break from study can destroy ones attention. Many students struggle to adapt to the school settings after a long holiday as they become too comfortable at home with all the entertainment they got. This happened during the covid 19 pandamic when students could not get used to in-person classes after a long time and it took them a while to get back on track. Therefore, many argue that schools holidays should be shortened for better flow of education.

In conclusion, the importance of the long holidays is to get students involved in activities outside typical classroom for practical exposure and mental growth but shorter breaks are highly considered and supported by many as long holidays break the concentration of students after too much leisure.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the value of long holidays and the arguments for shorter ones. The position is clear throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. While the benefits of extracurricular activities are discussed, the explanation of how they specifically relate to 'cognitive development' remains a bit superficial. The argument for shorter holidays is supported by a relevant example (COVID-19), which strengthens the response. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is fully extended with more detailed reasoning or specific examples rather than relying on general statements like 'broadens the horizon of their minds'.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into four paragraphs with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'However', 'In order to', 'Nevertheless', and 'Therefore', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive. For instance, the link between the introduction and the first body paragraph could be smoother. Additionally, there are minor issues with referencing and flow, such as the phrase 'This happened during the covid 19 pandamic', where the reference to the previous sentence is clear but could be more elegantly integrated. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two main arguments.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to convey their ideas clearly. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, such as 'cognitive development', 'fundamental education', and 'practical exposure'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'bookish knowledge' (which sounds slightly unnatural) and 'makes excited' (which is grammatically incomplete). The range is sufficient to express opinions, but more precise and sophisticated vocabulary would be needed for a higher band. Spelling is generally accurate, though 'pandamic' is a notable error.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the student attempts complex sentences, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation. Examples include 'the necessity of prolonged school closure is the idea that' (awkward phrasing), 'students usually are busy' (word order), and 'opinions in favour to shorten' (should be 'in favour of shortening'). Additionally, there are minor errors with articles and pluralization, such as 'explore new place' instead of 'places'. Despite these errors, the meaning is always clear, and the mistakes do not impede communication, which is characteristic of a Band 6 performance.

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

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