Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-18
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 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?
The educational institutions give 2 months holidays to primary and secondary students as its essential because after studying for 9 to 10 months kids are keen to have a break for a while as they do get exhausted studying the boring subjects.
The break for 2 months is good because if parents want to take them out of city or country then this time period is good as it takes time to explore new places and even in this time they can learn practical skills. Furthermore, practical skills like swimming, arts or design, reading or creative writing or even aerobics so which ever skill they try to learn will take time as it requires practise which makes it time taking and they can not learn with their school routine as they get busy with school assignments and homework only. Futhermore, Students need to spend some time with family and friends to have balace of social life and also live in peace for some time without any academic pressure.
However the period of 2 months can be long period of holidays as might be possible that after a month students start getting bored and start missing their school life. The shorter holidays can be beneficial too as students awake till late night which disturb their routine so shorter breaks help them to get to their school routine back quickly. In addition, They may get diverted from studies in vacations which makes them vulnerable to cope up to the studies after holidays so shorter holidays means less chances of distractions.
Lastly, The shorter holidays should be encouraged as it helps students to get engage as much as in studies which is quite benefical and keep them on track.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
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 travel and skill-building, the arguments lack depth and specific examples. For instance, you list activities like 'swimming' or 'aerobics' but do not explain how these contribute to a student's long-term development. The position is clear, but the ideas are not fully extended. To reach a higher band, ensure each point is supported by a clear explanation or a concrete example that demonstrates the 'value' or 'argument' more thoroughly.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your argument. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'However', and 'In addition'. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, such as the repetitive use of 'Furthermore' at the start of consecutive sentences. Additionally, some transitions between ideas are abrupt. The logical progression is generally clear, but the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph focuses on a single, well-developed theme.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on basic terms like 'good', 'boring', and 'time taking'. There are also some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'get engage' instead of 'get engaged' and 'disturb their routine' instead of 'disrupt their routine'. To improve, try to incorporate more academic collocations and precise synonyms to express your ideas more effectively. The current range is sufficient to communicate your meaning, but it does not demonstrate a flexible or sophisticated command of language.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'as its essential' (missing 'it is'), 'if parents want to take them out of city' (missing 'the'), and 'shorter holidays means less chances' (subject-verb agreement error). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with unnecessary capitalisation of words like 'Students' and 'The' in the middle of sentences. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to lower the score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and article usage will significantly improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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