Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-29

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)

In numerous countries, school students are given lengthy brakes of two months or more during the summer. This essay will discuss the benefits of these extended holidays, as well as the reasons some people support reducing their length.

Long summer holidays offer many benefits. Firstly, gives students time to rest and prevent burnouts which is beneficial for mental health recovery from academic pressure. For example, In recent study on mental health benefits states that after long hours of stress on mind it good to take brake which helps in developing of brain prevents burnouts moreover, helps young people to generate good ideas. In addition, student can opt for their hobbies outside the formal curriculum. this suggest that giving extended brakes support wellbeing and personal development, outside academic performance.

On the other hand, there are compelling arguments for shortening the summer break. Firstly, learning loss over long breaks, sometimes called "summer slide".For instance, studies showing students forget material and teachers must spend weeks reviewing at the start of a new year. Furthermore, long breaks can create childcare burdens for working parents. This indicates that, more frequent breaks might better support both learning continuity and family logistics

In conclusion, while long summer holidays provide valuable rest and family time, shorter breaks distributed more evenly throughout the year could help address concerns about learning loss and reduce the burden on working families.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The essay addresses both parts of the prompt, discussing the value of long holidays and the arguments for shorter ones. However, the response is under the 250-word minimum, which significantly limits the depth of the arguments. While the ideas are relevant, they are somewhat underdeveloped due to the brevity. For instance, the point about 'childcare burdens' is mentioned but not fully expanded upon. To reach a higher band, you must ensure that each point is supported with more detailed explanation and specific examples to meet the length requirement and demonstrate a more thorough exploration of the topic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. You use cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'In addition', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with sentence-level cohesion, such as the fragmented sentence 'For instance, studies showing students forget material...' which lacks a main verb. Improving the flow between sentences and ensuring that every sentence is grammatically complete will help improve the overall coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'academic pressure', 'formal curriculum', 'learning loss', and 'childcare burdens'. However, there are several spelling and word-choice errors, such as 'brakes' instead of 'breaks' and 'developing of brain' instead of 'brain development'. These errors do not impede communication, but they do prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and ensure you are using the correct spelling for homophones like 'break/brake'.

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 affect the quality of the writing. Examples include missing subjects ('Firstly, gives students time...'), incorrect verb forms ('In recent study... states that'), and punctuation issues. The sentence 'For example, In recent study on mental health benefits states that after long hours of stress on mind it good to take brake...' is particularly problematic due to missing articles and incorrect clause structure. Increasing your control over basic grammar and sentence construction is essential for a higher score.

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

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