Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-27

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 5.0)

education plays a crucial role in forming and developing the children life both primary and secondary schools close for summer holidays ,also long holidays are many benefits the benefits of long holidays discussed below along with the pros of shorter.

to commence with, long holidays have ample of benefits such as if students get long holidays, then they can take part in different practical activities which may be beneficial in their future for example, in USA schools given 5 months holidays to students and they focus on other important activities. in addition, the stress of student about study is also reduced too some extend. apart from this, student can experience new things , places, and communicate with people which boost their confidence also. moreover, in longer school holidays students can know about the usage of internet by online classes and students who is coming from different locations can also benefited from this in addition the expenses on transport also reduced which is beneficial for country.

on the other hand, shorter holidays are some advantages first of all due to two months holidays student can more focus on their studies which is not possible in longer holidays furthermore, the concentration of students do not shake from studies as they know they have to go school after a short time also parents have not much stress on their minds about shorter period for example in 2019 during covid due to longer holidays the studies of children disturbed which results lots of student suffer from problems in studies hence, shorter holidays are better than longer holidays.

to sum up, in my point of view both holidays are important for students to get some relief from studies in schools even it is longer or shorter.

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 superficial. For instance, the mention of 'practical activities' is vague and lacks specific examples of what these activities might be. The reference to the USA having '5 months holidays' is factually questionable and lacks context. While the position is clear, the arguments are presented in a list-like fashion rather than being fully extended. To reach a higher band, you should provide more detailed explanations and concrete examples to support your claims, ensuring that the logic behind your arguments is fully explored.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the internal structure is weak. While you use some cohesive devices like 'to commence with', 'in addition', and 'on the other hand', they are often used mechanically or incorrectly. For example, the transition 'hence, shorter holidays are better than longer holidays' appears abruptly. Furthermore, the lack of punctuation, particularly between sentences, makes the flow of ideas difficult to follow. The referencing is sometimes unclear, and the progression of ideas within paragraphs is not always logical. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring proper sentence boundaries would significantly enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally limited and repetitive. You rely on basic terms such as 'benefits', 'important', and 'problems'. There are several instances of awkward collocations and word choice errors, such as 'ample of benefits' (should be 'ample benefits') and 'concentration of students do not shake' (should be 'waver'). While you attempt to use some topic-related vocabulary, the lack of precision and the frequent errors in word formation and usage limit the effectiveness of your communication. To improve, focus on learning collocations and using a wider variety of synonyms to express your ideas more precisely.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains frequent grammatical errors that impede readability. There is a significant lack of punctuation, with many run-on sentences and missing full stops, such as in the opening paragraph. Subject-verb agreement is often incorrect, for example, 'students who is coming' and 'expenses on transport also reduced'. You rely mostly on simple sentence structures, and attempts at complex sentences are often marred by errors in syntax. To improve, you must focus on basic sentence construction, ensuring that every sentence has a clear subject and verb, and pay closer attention to punctuation and verb tense consistency.

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

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