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 lenght 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 students' productivity is the most pragmatic approach to adopt in modern society.

A primary justification for this view is that, most students like to participate in activities, such as dancing, swimming, sports, and painting in their vacations, which play 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 students' health after extending summer vacations to two months due to heat waves.

However, there are some strong arguments in favour of reducing the duration of vacations. Adimitedly, a noticeable decline in the students' interest in academics cannot be ignored. This is specifically because, children usually go in inertria after not studying for longer durations, and they take a significant amount of time to pick it up again. To illustrate this drawback, many students in India often face extreme difficulties while focusing 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 students' productivity.

In conclusion, when looking at the issue of the duration of summer vacations the best choice is clear. I firmly maintain that allowing long summer vacations to increase students' productivity is the most effective approach. While concerns regarding a noticeable decline in the students' 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. You maintain a clear position throughout, which is a strength. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. While you provide relevant examples regarding health and academic decline, the discussion on the 'value' of holidays is a bit generic, focusing primarily on extracurricular activities. To reach a higher band, ensure that the arguments for shorter holidays are explored with the same depth as your own stance, perhaps by discussing the impact on working parents or the potential for more consistent learning retention in greater detail.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. You use cohesive devices such as 'Additionally', 'However', and 'To illustrate this drawback' to guide the reader through your arguments. The progression of ideas is generally smooth. One area for improvement is the variety of these devices; at times, the transitions feel slightly mechanical. Additionally, ensure that the concluding paragraph does not merely repeat the introduction but synthesizes the main points more effectively to provide a stronger sense of closure.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'pragmatic', 'justification', and 'academic decline'. However, there are some spelling errors ('lenght', 'Adimitedly') and minor word choice issues, such as 'go in inertria', which is not a standard collocation. To improve, focus on using more precise academic collocations and ensure careful proofreading to eliminate basic spelling mistakes. Expanding your vocabulary to include more sophisticated synonyms for common words like 'good' or 'important' would also help elevate your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this level. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'the lenght of summer vacations' (should be 'the length of') and 'go in inertria' (should be 'experience inertia'). Punctuation is generally handled well, though there are occasional unnecessary commas, such as after 'vacations' in the final paragraph. To achieve a higher band, aim for more error-free complex sentences and ensure that your subject-verb agreement and preposition usage are consistently accurate.

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

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