Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-22

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 6.5)

Increasingly, the widespread shift towards the duration of summer vacations in many countries has gained significant attention. Although there are different views on this matter, I strongly believe that allowing long summer vacations to increase student's productivity is the most pramatic approah to adopt in modern society.

A primary justification for this view is that, most of the students like to participate in activities, such as dancing, swimming, sports, painting in their vacations, which plays a major role in their development. Additionally, in some countries, where summers are extremely hot, summer vacations would be a great relief to the students. For instance, many schools in India reported a massive improvement in student's health after extending summer vacations to two months due to heat waves.

However, there are some strong arguments in the favour of reducing the duration of vacations. Addimitedly, a noticeable decline in the student's interest in academics cannot be ignored. This is specifically because, children usually went in interia after not studying for longer durations, and they take significant amount of time to pick it up again. To illustrate this drawback, many students in India often face extreme difficulties to focus on studies after vacations. However, provided there is sensible management this issue can be resolved. Therefore, we should still focus on allowing long summer vacations to increase student's productivity.

In conclusions, when looking at the issue of duration of summer vacations the best choice is clear. I firmly maintain that llowing long summer vacations to increase student's productivity is the most effective approach. While concerns regarding a noticeable decline in the student's interest in academics are valid, the long-term advantages ultimately outweigh any temporary setbacks.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the value of long holidays and the arguments for shorter ones. The position is clear throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat repetitive. For instance, the argument about 'productivity' is mentioned in the introduction, body paragraph two, and the conclusion, but it is not clearly defined or explained in depth. The examples provided, such as the mention of heat waves in India, are relevant but could be more thoroughly linked to the broader educational context. To reach a higher band, ensure that each body paragraph explores a distinct aspect of the argument with more detailed reasoning rather than restating the main thesis.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas from the introduction to the conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'Additionally', 'However', and 'To illustrate' are used to link sentences and ideas. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing, such as the use of 'this issue' which could be more precisely defined. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall structure helps the reader follow the argument without difficulty. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of cohesive devices and ensuring that the relationship between sentences is more fluid.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'pramatic' (misspelled) and 'interia' (misspelled). While the meaning is generally clear, these spelling errors and occasional word choice inaccuracies (e.g., 'shift towards the duration') slightly detract from the overall quality. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended message, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band. Focusing on accurate spelling and more natural collocations would significantly enhance this score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'student's productivity' (should be plural 'students''), 'in the favour of', and 'llowing' (typo). Additionally, there are issues with verb tense consistency, such as 'children usually went in interia'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, the writer should focus on subject-verb agreement, pluralization, and proofreading for basic typographical errors to ensure that complex structures are used with greater accuracy.

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

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