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)

In various nations, junior and higher schools close for more than a month during summer vacation. In this essay I will be explaining the value of extended break in school and the argument in benefit of shorter holidays.

Many schools all over the nation give break to the students for a long time during vacation which help them mentally as well as physically. All over the years students just focus on the study which cause them a lot of stress however, during the break children don't have to get up early and head towards school which alleviates stress they carry over the years. Parents also carve out time and enjoy holiday with the children by visiting different places .Additionally they also exercise by walking or learning new things such as yoga or meditation which helps them to be fit and healthy. For instance, during my holiday my parents used to come from abroad leaving their work and we used to travel to our hometown to enjoy life and to make memories.

One of the significant benefit due to the short holiday is retaining knowledge as long break cause the student to forget reading, writing, or doing math problem but short holiday means staying in routine, making it easier to start learning again .It is a double-edge-sword because it helps student to relieve Burdon as well as making student more active in studying, benefiting the child both mentally and physically.

In conclusion, even though the long break are beneficial for the students to release stress but short holiday is also important as the student won't forget about the lesson they have learnt in school in a short period of time.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the value of long holidays and the arguments for shorter ones. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you provide personal examples regarding the benefits of long breaks, the discussion on shorter holidays is brief and relies on a single argument regarding knowledge retention. To achieve a higher band, you should expand on the arguments for shorter holidays, perhaps discussing the impact on working parents or the continuity of social development. The position is clear, but the depth of analysis remains at a basic level.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Additionally', 'For instance', and 'In conclusion'. However, the transition between ideas is sometimes mechanical, and the use of referencing is occasionally imprecise, such as in the second paragraph where the subject 'they' is ambiguous. The logical flow within paragraphs is generally maintained, but the connection between the two main body paragraphs could be strengthened to create a more cohesive argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your meaning clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'alleviates stress' and 'retaining knowledge'. However, there are instances of awkward phrasing and word choice, such as 'junior and higher schools' instead of 'primary and secondary schools', and 'relieve Burdon' (spelling error: burden). To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations and avoid repetitive phrasing. The range of vocabulary is sufficient but lacks the sophistication required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles (e.g., 'the long break', 'the student'), subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'long break cause'), and punctuation. Some sentences are slightly disjointed due to these errors. To reach a higher band, focus on improving your control over basic grammar, such as pluralization and verb tense consistency, and aim for more error-free complex sentences.

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

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