Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-25
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 5.5)
It is vital for every country to provide their students a holiday of two months. I completely agree with this statement. I'll give you some specific reasons so that I can prove my statement as to why I agree with this completely.
In my opinion, summer holidays are a vital part of all the students and all the students are awaiting their whole year for these holidays. They are excited for summer holidays as due to the burden of studies on the student, a busy life and a lot of homework for them so they have no time to enjoy their life and play some games with their friends.For instance, during the school term, students have a tough schedule they have no time to relax and understand the world out of school.
Moreover, to experience an upward and new trend they don't have enough time to spend it with their friends and their grandparents. Due to the summer holidays they have a lot of time to increase their knowledge while sitting with their grandparents and their parents and friends. For instance, the knowledge grandparents give us is not available in schools.
Adolescence is the age in which some children make their future and some can destroy it.Due to the long term holidays they spend more time with their beloved ones. Long term holidays make their adolescence more enjoyable they can't confidently talk to others. They also make their own decisions.
To sum up, summer holidays for two months are vital for all primary and secondary schools so that students can know about the world and its affairs and easily understood things and will be away from social anxiety.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses the first part of the prompt regarding the value of long holidays, but it fails to address the second part: 'What are the arguments in favour of shorter school holidays?' By only focusing on the benefits of long breaks, the response is incomplete. While the position is clear, the ideas are somewhat repetitive and lack the depth required for a higher band. To improve, ensure you explicitly answer every question asked in the prompt. The arguments provided, such as spending time with grandparents, are relevant but could be better supported with more specific examples or a more balanced discussion of the opposing viewpoint.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'For instance' is used twice in a similar way). The progression of ideas is sometimes disjointed; for example, the transition between the benefits of holidays and the paragraph about adolescence is abrupt. To improve, use a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence that connects logically to the previous one. Referencing is occasionally unclear, making some sentences feel disconnected from the main argument.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision needed for higher bands. There is a reliance on basic vocabulary (e.g., 'vital', 'good', 'make'), and some word choices are slightly unnatural, such as 'experience an upward and new trend' or 'destroy it' in the context of adolescence. There are also minor errors in collocation. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more academic collocations and precise terminology related to education and child development, while ensuring that the words are used in the correct context.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. For example, 'I'll give you some specific reasons so that I can prove my statement as to why I agree with this completely' is wordy and slightly awkward. There are also issues with subject-verb agreement and article usage (e.g., 'a holiday of two months'). Punctuation is generally functional, but some sentences are run-on or lack necessary commas. Focusing on sentence variety and proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy would significantly improve your score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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