Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-26

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)

Summer holidays are often the highlight of our memory from childhood. Depending on the country, primary and secondary schools provide vacation for almost a month or two during the summer. Such a break between the academic years is absolutely essential, however the duration of the same is debatable.

Summer vacation is something we can undoubtedly say that everyone looks forward to. Student of younger age groups usually have longer duration of off-period. Schools become more keen on having students more academically oriented as they climb through the different grades and hence the gradual reduction in the duration of holidays.

While summer holidays are largely seen as a period of vacation, learning doesn't stop. Student are given projects to engage in, often requiring them to do extensive research while also stimulating their creative sides during this period.

Parents may enroll their children in summer camps which provides an environment to socialize, participate in different activities such as swimming, soccer, cooking, etc. Older students may want to use their time more effectively, such as by volunteering, preparing for competitive exams or even learning a new language. Summer vacation is also largely seen as an opportunity to travel and meet with relatives, providing a change in environment on a regular basis to children. However, a lack of appropriate use of this time by not establishing a balance between leisure, learning and physical activity can have negative impacts on the child.

While the vacation is essential, a long gap may hinder learning. Following a two month gap, younger kids who initially adapted to schools with great difficulty may find it difficult to reintegrate once the schools reopen. Slow learners may also benefit with longer academic years as they are now not constrained by time. Furthermore, instead of providing a long gap between academic years, shorter periods of vacation can be provided between different semesters, evenly spread throughout the year. This would in fact help children to rewind from time to time. In conclusion, a shorter span of summer vacation is surely a reasonable and favorable introduction in schools.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have addressed both parts of the prompt: the value of long holidays and the arguments for shorter ones. Your position is clear throughout the essay. The ideas are relevant, such as the benefits of socialization and extracurricular activities for the first part, and the risk of learning loss and the need for consistent academic progress for the second. To reach a higher band, ensure that your arguments are more fully extended. For instance, when mentioning 'slow learners,' you could provide a more concrete example of how a shorter break specifically aids their retention compared to a long summer gap. Overall, the response is well-balanced and directly answers the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central focus, moving from the benefits of summer to the potential drawbacks and the proposed solution. You use cohesive devices such as 'While,' 'Furthermore,' and 'In conclusion' effectively to link your thoughts. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing could be smoother. For example, in the second paragraph, the transition between the general popularity of holidays and the specific academic focus could be more fluid. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate, and the logical flow is easy to follow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your ideas with precision. Phrases like 'academically oriented,' 'reintegrate,' and 'constrained by time' show a good command of language. There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'duration of the same' (which is slightly formal/clunky) and 'rewind' (which is more commonly used for tapes or videos; 'recharge' or 'rest' would be more natural in this context). You successfully use less common items, but there is room to incorporate more sophisticated collocations to reach a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. There are several grammatical slips, such as 'Student of younger age groups' (should be plural 'Students') and 'Student are given' (should be 'Students are'). Additionally, 'which provides' should be 'which provide' to agree with the plural 'summer camps.' While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede communication. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and pluralization. Your control over punctuation is generally good, and the complex structures you attempt are mostly accurate.

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

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