Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Many countries across the world observe a summer holiday of two months or more in schools, both primary and secondary.

Long summer vacations are very important for the mental health of students. The students adapt with the timeline of school throughout the academic year. They participate in various activities that demand a lot of a student's brain. Overloading them with stress can have effects on their mental health early in life. Therefore, these summer holidays can be considered a healthy break from the demanding routine of schools. Another reason why the long summer holidays are important is because they provide recreational time to the students. The extra-curricular activities are as important in modern world as the academic activities. Multiple studies show a connection between physical activity, sports, and creativity in children. Meanwhile, children can start a new sports in these holidays and they will have ample time to learn it. For instance, in my country, long school holidays are observed and in these holidays I developed interest for football. Till this date, I participate football events that has helped me both physically and mentally.

On the other hand, long absence from schools can affect the academic performance of the students. They can have a hard time getting back into the school's routine. This can also make them lose interest in the studies. My mother is a school teacher and her students performance declined after school holidays proving the claim. Shorter school holidays can serve both purposes. They can also provide a well deserved break to the students, whereas they can retain the interest for the studies too.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the value of long holidays and the arguments for shorter ones. The ideas are relevant and generally well-supported with personal examples, such as the mention of learning football. However, the development is somewhat brief. While the position is clear, the arguments could be extended further to reach a higher band. For instance, the discussion on shorter holidays is quite concise and could benefit from more detailed exploration of the potential benefits for academic continuity or parental convenience. Overall, the task is fully addressed, but the depth of analysis is limited.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, each focusing on a specific aspect of the prompt. There is a logical progression of ideas from the benefits of long holidays to the counter-arguments. Cohesive devices such as 'Therefore', 'Meanwhile', and 'On the other hand' are used to link sentences and ideas effectively. However, the transition between some ideas is slightly mechanical, and the concluding paragraph is quite abrupt. Improving the flow between sentences and ensuring a more comprehensive summary in the conclusion would enhance the overall coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally appropriate and sufficient for the task. The student uses some topic-specific terms like 'extra-curricular activities' and 'academic performance'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are some instances of slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'adapt with the timeline of school' or 'participate football events'. To achieve a higher score, the student should aim to incorporate more sophisticated collocations and less common lexical items. The current vocabulary is functional but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'start a new sports' (should be 'sport'), 'participate football events' (should be 'participate in'), and 'students performance' (missing apostrophe). These errors are frequent enough to be noticeable but do not impede communication. To improve, the student should focus on subject-verb agreement, correct preposition usage, and punctuation, particularly regarding possessives. Increasing the variety of complex structures while maintaining accuracy would also be beneficial.

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

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