Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-16

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, educational organisations announced two or more months summer vacations, and remained close. This is because students need a break, and time for recreational activities with their families. However, some people argue that school holidays should be shorter, because students can learn more in schools rather than at home, and short school holidays can be helpful to maintain their routines. This essay will explain these stances with an explanation and examples.

In terms of the value of long school vacations, it allow the students to have a reasonable break from a hectic routine. Schools holidays provide them some time to focus on themselves. In addition, in summers, students feel tired and dehydrated because of the hot weather, so summer holidays allow them to stay at home and stay hydrated. Furthermore, students can spend more time with their families, and engaged to do recreational tasks with them in summer vacations. The long school holidays allow them to visit their extended family. For instance, a study reveals that numerous students only get a chance to visit their grandparents in the summer vacations, because they live in two different cities.

On the other hand, the opponents believe that shorter school holidays can be more beneficial for students, because it allow them to come back to school after a short time-period, and it will not affect their studies. They believe students can learn better at school as compared to home. Additionally, shorter summer vacations assist them to maintain their routines of schools, because long break from school can disturb student's routines. For example, schools reported less attendance of the students after long summer vacations.

In conclusion, although long school holidays can provide a break and a chance to do recreational activities, it can interrupt their routines and learnings.

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 limited. For instance, the point about students being 'dehydrated' in summer is a bit simplistic and lacks academic depth. The conclusion is also quite abrupt and does not fully summarise the main points discussed in the body paragraphs. To reach a higher band, ensure that each argument is supported by more sophisticated reasoning or broader real-world implications rather than just personal or anecdotal observations.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organised into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. Cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'Furthermore', and 'On the other hand' are used to guide the reader. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing. For example, in the final paragraph, the pronoun 'it' is used to refer to 'long school holidays', but the plural noun makes this reference slightly ambiguous. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear, and the paragraphing is appropriate for the task.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their meaning clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'recreational activities', 'hectic routine', and 'extended family'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are occasional inaccuracies in collocation, such as 'engaged to do recreational tasks' (should be 'engaged in recreational activities') and 'educational organisations announced' (should be 'educational institutions implement'). The range of vocabulary is sufficient to communicate, but lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that persist throughout the text. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues like 'it allow' (should be 'it allows') and 'it will not affect their studies' (referring to holidays, which should be plural). There are also minor punctuation and article errors, such as 'in summers' (should be 'in summer') and 'student's routines' (should be 'students' routines'). These errors do not impede communication, but they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score.

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

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