Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

In many countries, schools provide students with summer holidays lasting two months or even longer. Although these extended breaks can offer several important benefits, some people believe that shorter holidays would be more beneficial for students and their education. This essay will discuss both views before explaining why a balanced approach is preferable.

There are several advantages to having long school holidays. First, students need sufficient time to rest after a long academic year. Continuous studying can cause stress and tiredness, so a lengthy break allows children to relax and return to school with greater motivation. In addition, long holidays provide opportunities for students to spend quality time with their families, travel, participate in sports and develop hobbies that may not be possible during the school year. For example, students can attend summer camps or visit relatives in other cities, which can improve their social and practical skills.

On the other hand, shorter school holidays may have educational advantages. One major concern is that students can forget some of the knowledge and skills they have learned when they are away from school for a long period. This is particularly true for subjects such as mathematics and languages, which require regular practice. Shorter and more frequent breaks could help students maintain their learning and make the transition back to school easier. Furthermore, shorter holidays may reduce the burden on working parents, who often have difficulty finding childcare for their children during lengthy school vacations.

In my opinion, both students and parents can benefit from holidays, but excessively long breaks may negatively affect academic progress. Therefore, schools should consider providing reasonably long breaks while encouraging students to undertake educational and recreational activities during the holidays. This would allow children to rest without losing their connection with learning.

In conclusion, long school holidays give students valuable opportunities to relax, spend time with their families and develop interests outside school. However, shorter holidays can help maintain academic progress and reduce difficulties for working parents. A balanced holiday system would therefore be the most effective approach.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, clearly identifying the value of long holidays and the arguments for shorter ones. The position is consistent throughout, and the ideas are well-supported with relevant examples, such as the mention of summer camps and the specific challenges for working parents regarding childcare. The essay is well-structured, and the arguments are developed logically. To reach a higher band, the student could provide more nuanced examples or explore the implications of these changes in greater depth, perhaps by discussing the impact on different socio-economic groups or specific educational systems.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay demonstrates a clear logical progression. Each paragraph has a central topic, and the transition between the benefits of long holidays and the arguments for shorter ones is smooth. Cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'On the other hand', and 'Furthermore' are used effectively to guide the reader. Paragraphing is logical and contributes to the overall clarity of the argument. The flow of ideas is natural, and the relationship between sentences is consistently clear, making the text easy to follow throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is sufficient and appropriate for the task. The student uses a range of topic-specific terms such as 'academic year', 'social and practical skills', and 'academic progress'. While the vocabulary is accurate and conveys meaning clearly, it is mostly functional rather than sophisticated. To achieve a higher band, the student should aim to incorporate more precise or idiomatic collocations and less common lexical items. For instance, instead of 'important benefits', one could use 'significant advantages' or 'substantial merits' to demonstrate a more flexible range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The essay displays a good command of grammatical structures. There is a mix of simple and complex sentences, such as the use of conditional and concessive clauses (e.g., 'Although these extended breaks can offer...'). The punctuation is accurate, and there are very few grammatical errors. The sentences are generally error-free, which indicates a high level of control. To improve further, the student could experiment with more varied sentence structures, such as inversion or more complex passive constructions, to demonstrate a wider range of grammatical flexibility.

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