Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-15

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)

In some countries, educational institutions get closed for 2 months or ever for long, especially in summer breaks. It is widely argued that the longer is the vacation the more students get to do other activities and refresh their mind, but on the other hand many believe that longer vacation can ruin students academic flow.

First and foremost, vacations are mainly for refreshment. The students as well as the teachers get frustrated after a year-long academic activities. They do not get enough time to take care of themselves. Because the only free time they get is weekends, which also pass in a blink of an eye, as students stay busy preparing their homework and teachers also drown themselves preparing the next lesson. Pupils and the students do not get enough time to spend with their families. For these reasons, longer vacation is more helpful. Teachers and students get the chance to create some memories with their families. During this period, they also get the chance to go on a holiday with their loved ones. Furthermore, academic knowledge is not the only way to prosper in life, students also need to participate in co-curricular activities. In these summer holidays, students join different classes for example, swimming, dancing, singing and so on. All these activities help the learner to refresh their mind and prepare them for their next academic year.

On the other hand, many individuals think that longer vacation will distracts students from their studies. Many people think that students may not utilize their time properly, which will cause a great obstruct. Additionally, longer vacation may bring financial loss to some parents. Many of the students parents are workers, they need to pay childcare fee for a month long as they cannot stay at home and take care of their children. Some parents believe, continuous academic work will make their child better.

In conclusion, longer vacation and shorter vacation both have their own logical perspective but a balanced vacation will be more beneficial.

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 long holidays are well-supported with examples like co-curricular activities, the arguments for shorter holidays are less developed and rely on general statements about 'financial loss' and 'distraction' without specific examples. To reach a higher band, ensure that both sides of the argument receive equal depth of analysis and more detailed supporting evidence.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. There is a clear progression of ideas from the introduction to the conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'First and foremost', 'Furthermore', and 'On the other hand' are used effectively to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there is occasional repetition of phrasing (e.g., 'longer vacation'). The use of referencing could be more varied to improve the flow between sentences, but overall, the structure is coherent and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'prosper' and 'co-curricular', which is positive. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'get closed' instead of 'close' or 'are closed', and 'cause a great obstruct' instead of 'cause a significant obstacle'. The range is sufficient for the task, but more precise and varied vocabulary would elevate the response to a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('vacation will distracts') and awkward phrasing ('the longer is the vacation the more students get to do'). Punctuation is generally functional, but some sentences are slightly clunky. The writer demonstrates an ability to use complex structures, but the frequency of errors prevents a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for basic agreement and tense consistency would significantly improve the accuracy of the writing.

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

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