Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-17

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)

In the modern world, some individuals believe that in their elementary school and high school, the number of holidays is more than two months and it affect students education and long holidays has become common and attracted significant public attention. It has become a topic of widespread debate due to its impact on individuals and society. We will discuss into both sides and extract the suitable opinion on the basis of arguments provided.

To commence, one of the major advantages is that children can focus on their co-curricular activities or invest their time in learning new skills. This is because the school only focuses on their syllabus and individuals can't think about their passion or creativity only complete their homework and other school work. In addition, only holidays are the time when student can enjoy and travel new destination with families, friends and create memories. However, another reason for extended holidays are extreme changes in weather condition such as extreme heat waves are spreading outside or extreme cold and a pandemic occurs in these cases the holidays are extended.

On the other hand, one of the major disadvantages is that teacher can't complete their syllabus in mean time of school hours and that affect student growth. Sometime, individuals did not utilize their holidays properly because their parenting sometime not enough, the students play games or other activities that are not useful in their career but it will provide happiness in students life. Hence, it will affect in the long term for individuals and society.

In my opinion, the holidays are beneficial for individuals when they can utilize them properly and gain skills in the meantime but some students waste their time in unnecessary things and it can harm in the long term.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt, discussing the value of long holidays and the arguments for shorter ones. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For example, the point about 'extreme weather' is introduced but not clearly linked to the argument for shorter or longer holidays in a logical way. The position is present but could be more clearly articulated throughout the essay. To improve, you should provide more specific examples or deeper analysis for each point, such as explaining how exactly shorter holidays might improve academic outcomes or detailing the specific skills children gain during long breaks.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, and there is a basic logical progression. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or repetitive (e.g., 'To commence', 'In addition', 'On the other hand'). There are also issues with referencing; for instance, the phrase 'that affect student growth' is vague in its connection to the previous sentence. The transition between ideas within paragraphs could be smoother to ensure a more natural flow of information. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that pronouns clearly refer to their antecedents would enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. You rely on somewhat generic phrasing, such as 'unnecessary things' and 'useful in their career'. There are also some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'in mean time of school hours' instead of 'during the school term'. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more topic-specific vocabulary related to education and child development, and focus on using collocations that sound more natural in an academic context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally hinder clarity. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('the number of holidays are', 'teacher can't complete'), missing articles, and awkward phrasing ('parenting sometime not enough'). While the meaning is generally clear, these errors are persistent. To improve, focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring that your sentence structures are grammatically sound. Practicing the use of complex sentences with correct punctuation will also help you demonstrate better control over your grammar.

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