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)

Education is very important for all of us. Many educational institutions are built up for this purpose. Special focus is given on educational system, teachers training, books, syllabus, academic structure etc. Our learning journey begins at school. Which play a central role in education because they lay the foundation for every child’s learning and development.

In many countries, primary and secondary schools close longer in summer holidays but some peoples are in favour of shorter holidays as, and this time matters a lot. Time is very precious, and it is well said that, "Time and Tide wait for none".

On one hand, longer vacations have many benefits like it give a break from studies, Students can enjoy with family and friends. Their is no pressure of exams, tests or assignments. In addition to it, We can also learn skills that we are interested in, such as sewing, drawing, painting, or playing a sport. During these vacations, we can gain experience and try activities that we normally cannot do in our daily routine.

But on the other hand, there are some drawbacks of long school holidays. Due to the long study gap, children lost interest in studies. They become dull and lazy as there focus is diverted completely from studies. In this time period, children may become accustomed to playing, going out, and having a relaxed routine. As a result, their fixed school routine can be disrupted, making it difficult for them to return to waking up early, attending school, studying, and taking exams after the holidays.

That is the reason shorter school holidays are perfect. In these holidays every student can have a short break, remain connected to studies. As a result, their should be reduce study loss, maintaining study routine and less problems after returning to school.

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 is somewhat superficial. While you mention benefits like learning new skills and drawbacks like academic regression, the ideas lack depth and specific examples. The introduction is overly general, focusing on the importance of education rather than introducing the specific topic of school holidays. To improve, ensure your position is clearly stated in the introduction and that each body paragraph provides more detailed explanations or concrete examples to support your claims, rather than relying on brief, generalized statements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical. You use some cohesive devices like 'In addition to it' and 'On one hand', but the transitions between the introductory ideas and the main body are abrupt. The sentence 'Which play a central role in education...' is a fragment and disrupts the logical flow. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence that connects back to the main argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and variety required for higher bands. You rely on common, repetitive phrasing such as 'very important', 'many benefits', and 'some drawbacks'. There are also minor errors in word choice, such as 'children lost interest' (should be 'lose interest') and 'there focus' (should be 'their focus'). To improve, try to incorporate more academic collocations and synonyms to express your ideas more precisely. Avoid informal phrasing and focus on using vocabulary that is appropriate for an academic essay 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 impede clarity. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('children lost interest'), incorrect pronoun usage ('their should be reduce'), and sentence fragments ('Which play a central role...'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While your meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring that every sentence is complete and grammatically sound.

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