Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · 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 7.5)

In many nations, school calendars include an extended summer vacation lasting two months or more. While these long breaks offer students essential rest, I believe that shorter, more frequent holidays are ultimately more beneficial for academic success and modern family life.

On the one hand, traditional long holidays are highly valuable for a child’s personal development. Extended time away from the classroom allows students to recover from academic stress and prevents burnout. Furthermore, it provides the freedom to explore non-academic interests that schools rarely cover. For example, during a long summer, children can attend specialized camps, learn practical life skills like swimming, or travel with family. These activities foster independence and creativity outside the strict school curriculum for them.

On the other hand, compelling arguments support shortening these vacation periods. The primary issue with a two-month gap is summer learning loss, where students forget key literacy and numeracy skills. Consequently, teachers must spend the first weeks of the new term re-teaching old material. Additionally, lengthy breaks create massive logistical and financial challenges for working parents who must scramble to find affordable childcare. Shorter vacations distributed evenly throughout the year would maintain a steady learning routine and ease the burden on households.

In conclusion, while long summer holidays give children the chance to rest and pursue personal hobbies, they often disrupt learning and strain working families. Redistributing school holidays into shorter, more frequent breaks offers a superior balance. This approach ensures stable academic retention while still giving students regular opportunities to recharge.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response fully addresses both parts of the prompt: the value of long holidays and the arguments for shorter ones. The position is clear from the introduction and is maintained consistently throughout the essay. Each paragraph provides relevant, well-developed ideas, such as the mention of 'summer learning loss' and 'logistical challenges' for parents. The arguments are supported with logical reasoning and clear examples, such as the mention of specialized camps and swimming. The response is balanced and demonstrates a strong understanding of the task requirements, providing a comprehensive answer that is well-structured and focused.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the transition between the benefits of long holidays and the arguments for shorter ones is smooth, facilitated by effective cohesive devices like 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'Consequently'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct points. The flow of information is natural, and the relationship between ideas is clear throughout the text. The use of referencing is precise, ensuring that the reader can easily follow the argument from the introduction to the conclusion.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The vocabulary is precise and well-suited to the academic context. The student uses a range of topic-specific terminology such as 'academic success', 'personal development', 'literacy and numeracy skills', and 'logistical and financial challenges'. The language is natural and demonstrates a good command of collocation. While the vocabulary is consistently accurate and appropriate, it stays within a standard range of academic English. To reach the highest band, the student could incorporate slightly more sophisticated or idiomatic expressions, but the current range is more than sufficient for a high score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The essay demonstrates a high level of grammatical control. A variety of complex sentence structures are used effectively, such as conditional-like structures ('If... then' implied) and subordinate clauses ('While these long breaks offer...', 'where students forget...'). The majority of sentences are error-free, and punctuation is used correctly to enhance clarity. There are no significant grammatical slips that impede communication. The control over tense and aspect is consistent, and the overall sentence construction is sophisticated enough to meet the criteria for a high band score.

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