Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-30

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 many states, the primary and secondary institutes remains off for two months for summer vocations. There are many benefits and loss of that long holidays. In below, I will explain some reasons that support my idea.

First of all, the long vocations in the primary and secondary school that contain many advantages. when students tired for reading the same lessons regular then these holidays bring some relax time for for students and also it helps the students do some other activities in their holidays term.

Having long time off from schools helps the poor students who are not able to pay their school funds and also their home expenses so, these holidays gives them an opportunity to earn some money by doing many works. But these vocations contains some disadvantages such as, when students are remain free from school works then they join some bad habits also some unfair friends.

For example, a few years ago, the government of Pakistan found some people who were selling the wain. When children starting buy these wain then they involved in bad habits. And when students remains a long time free from study then this effected on their results.

Second of all, some people support the shorter vocations because it helped the students in their education. For example when students attending their classes regularly then it effects on their marks as well as on their knowledge. the shorter vocations protects the students from bad habits and also helped them to do many physical activities in their school ground.

In conclusion, the long holidays contains many positive points but shorter vocations are more helpful for students.

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 is limited. The ideas, such as students earning money or the risk of 'bad habits,' are mentioned but not fully explored or supported with sophisticated reasoning. The example regarding the government of Pakistan is somewhat vague and lacks clear connection to the broader argument. To reach a higher band, you should provide more detailed explanations and ensure that your position is clearly maintained throughout the essay. The conclusion is brief and does not fully synthesize the points made.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For example, 'In below' is not standard English, and the transition between ideas is sometimes abrupt. While there is a logical progression from the benefits of long holidays to the arguments for shorter ones, the internal flow within paragraphs is hindered by repetitive sentence structures and limited linking words. Improving the variety of transition signals would significantly enhance the readability of your work.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. There are several instances of word-choice errors, such as using 'vocations' instead of 'vacations' and 'wain' (which is unclear). Phrases like 'do some other activities' and 'bad habits' are quite basic. To improve, you should focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and collocations. For instance, instead of 'do some works,' use 'seek employment' or 'gain work experience.' The spelling errors, such as 'remains' instead of 'remain,' also detract from the overall quality.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay relies heavily on simple sentence structures, and there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede communication. Issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'institutes remains,' 'students tired for reading'), incorrect verb tenses, and awkward phrasing (e.g., 'when students starting buy'). There is a lack of complex sentence structures, which limits your ability to express nuanced ideas. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and practice incorporating a wider variety of complex sentences using subordinating conjunctions like 'although,' 'whereas,' or 'consequently.'

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