Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

In some countries vocations of twice or several months are given by primary and secondary schools. There are some benefits and some drawbacks of this action.

On the one hand, some views support longer vocations because long holidays sounds as a sense of relaxing and peace period. Through this the children can get rid of from daily stress and burden of education and can refresh their mind. The long vocations work as a key for some students to cover advance syllabus and they can also use this period for experimental learning. The students can use these vocations for travelling and to explore new areas. This time span will also improve the bonding of children with their families. A study in 2019 shows that the schools with greater vocations have better results as compared with the schools which has shorter holidays this is because through vocations students can do practical learning of their syllabus.

On the other hand, some arguments stands with shorter number of holidays, this is because for some lazy bluffers students the holidays are only a period of joy. They don't focus on studies in vocations because of lack of professional focus by schools and teachers. This is also a big problem for parents who can't afford extra expense of academies and tutors. By short vocations these problems can be resolved so parents demands less holidays. For example in my school the administration give summer holidays before exams, as a result a huge number of careless students were failed in the final examination but next year they give short holidays before exam and consequently, only few students were failed and majority of students achieved outstanding grades.

In conclusion, large vocation can be good because students can relax and do experimental learning in this timespan but shorter holidays are also better because it reduced burden of expense from parents amd itr also don't let students to be careless.

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. The ideas are relevant, such as the benefits of relaxation and family bonding, and the drawbacks regarding academic performance and financial burden. However, the development is somewhat uneven. The argument regarding 'lazy bluffers' is informal and lacks nuance. While the position is clear, the supporting examples, particularly the personal anecdote about the school administration, are slightly anecdotal and could be more effectively integrated into a broader academic argument. Overall, the task is addressed, but the depth of analysis could be improved to reach a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, each with a central topic. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'Through this the children can get rid of from daily stress'. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the use of 'this' to refer to broad concepts. The logical flow is generally maintained, but the progression of ideas within paragraphs could be smoother to ensure a more cohesive argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks sophistication. There are several instances of imprecise word choice or incorrect collocations, such as 'vocations' instead of 'vacations' or 'holidays', 'lazy bluffers', and 'get rid of from'. The phrase 'experimental learning' is used, but its application in the context of summer holidays is slightly unclear. While the meaning is generally conveyed, the lack of precision and the repetitive use of basic vocabulary limit the score. More varied and precise academic vocabulary would enhance the quality of the writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow, such as 'long holidays sounds as a sense', 'schools which has shorter holidays', and 'only few students were failed'. Subject-verb agreement and preposition usage are inconsistent. While the writer attempts complex sentences, these are often where the errors occur. To improve, the student should focus on basic grammatical accuracy, particularly with verb tenses and pluralization, before attempting more complex structures.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.