Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-24

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)

In some countries, educational institutions such as elementary and secondary schools close for months or more during summer seasons. While long holidays give children an opportunity to rest, spend time with their families, and pursue activities outside the classroom, shorter breaks may help them maintain academic progress and develop a more consistent learning routine.

On the one hand, one of the main advantages of long holidays is for children to take a rest from academic pressure and work tasks which can help them improve their mental health or overall wellbeing. Secondly, they have a lot of time to spend with their family. They can share a meal together, watch television or even go on a holiday trip which can strengthen the relationship with their love ones. In addition, lengthy breaks will be the opportunity for them to do outdoor activities such as cycling or playing sports that can help them boost productivity and improve communication skills by socializing with other people.

On the other hand, limited vacation days can help them maintain their academic grades. For instance, many students can easily forget about the lessons even in a short period of time. They need to review and study thereafter so that it will stick to their minds. Besides that, it will help them develop a consistent learning process which will help them in the future career. For instance, students who always read notes can enhance memorization and understanding about every concepts which will lead to good performances and grades.

In conclusion, although longer period of vacation can help strengthen family relationships, can do outdoor activities and manage to take more rests. However, I believe that shorter period can have a consistent impact on their studies such as having a good grades and maintain academic performances.

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, and the ideas are relevant. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument regarding 'academic progress' is a bit repetitive, focusing primarily on 'forgetting lessons' and 'memorization'. To reach a higher band, you should provide more nuanced examples, such as the impact on disadvantaged students or the role of extracurricular enrichment. The conclusion is slightly disjointed due to grammatical errors, but the overall task requirements are met effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. You use cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'In addition', and 'In conclusion' to guide the reader. However, the flow within paragraphs is sometimes mechanical. For example, the transition between the benefits of family time and outdoor activities could be smoother. Additionally, the final sentence of the conclusion is grammatically fragmented, which disrupts the overall cohesion of the closing statement. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring sentence-level cohesion would elevate this score.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'educational institutions', 'academic pressure', and 'consistent learning routine'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'every concepts' (should be 'every concept' or 'all concepts') and 'love ones' (should be 'loved ones'). While you attempt to use more sophisticated language, the range is somewhat limited and occasionally repetitive. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding basic phrasing like 'do outdoor activities' or 'take a rest'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation. For example, 'although longer period of vacation can help... However, I believe...' is a sentence fragment and a redundant structure. You also have issues with subject-verb agreement, such as 'can do outdoor activities' (missing subject) and 'a good grades' (incorrect article usage). While these errors rarely impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher band score. Focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and article usage.

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

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