Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-20

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 5.0)

In various countries, higher and lower-level schools remain unopen for 7 weeks or more in the summer vacations. Through the long holidays, children could develop their new skills and enhance their abilities.

But there will be some demerits like short exposure to educational materials and complete syllabus's which are the arguments in favor of shorter school holidays.

During long vacation for the children who studies in the primary or secondary schools boot their ability to new skills that they like, or they have enough time to think about the future they want. It helps him to be creative as well as informative without books and schools' knowledge. For example, in Nepal there are some holidays more than two months, in these time students gets chance to carry out the research about their skills or future education which helps them to purse right degree and field of their interest.

But in other hand, students might use those holidays in negative way such as doing unwanted things that can hamper their lives. Also, during long holidays the course has limited time to finished, which may add stress to the teachers and students. During short school holidays, students have both times to finish their task and course on time. They have more exposure to the studies materials and active participation in schools' programs.

In the end, both long and short holidays have negative and plosive aspects. Nevertheless, overall long vacations have more positive aspects and wider knowledge to the students and children. They can enhance their skills and abilities more effectively in long vacation than short one.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses the task by discussing both the value of long school holidays and the arguments for shorter holidays. However, the arguments could be better developed with more specific examples and clearer explanations. The conclusion attempts to summarize the points but lacks depth. Overall, the task achievement is moderate due to the superficial treatment of the topic. Band Score: 5.5

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay's coherence is somewhat hindered by its structure. For instance, the essay shifts between points without clear transitions, making it difficult to follow the argument. The introduction establishes the topic but could benefit from a clearer thesis statement. The conclusion, while present, does not fully encapsulate the discussion and feels somewhat abrupt. This affects the overall coherence of the piece.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

While the essay demonstrates some use of relevant vocabulary, there are instances of awkward phrasing, such as "higher and lower-level schools remain unopen" and "students might use those holidays in negative way". Additionally, some phrases are overly simplistic and lack precision. More varied and precise vocabulary could enhance the clarity and depth of the argument.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The grammatical range is limited, with several errors in sentence structure and agreement. For example, "children could develop their new skills" should be "children can develop new skills". There are instances of incorrect use of articles and plural forms, such as "the course has limited time to finished." While meaning is generally clear, these errors occasionally obscure the intended ideas.

Overall feedback

Your response shows an understanding of the topic and addresses both parts of the question. To improve, focus on developing your ideas more deeply; provide clearer examples and explanations to support your arguments. Additionally, enhance coherence by organizing your essay with clearer transition signals between points. Pay attention to grammatical accuracy, as some errors distract from your argument. Working on your vocabulary choice will also help convey your ideas more effectively. Aim for more varied language and precise phrases.

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

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