Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-31

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)

Many people argue that the primary and secondary schools in many countries remain closed for a very long period of time during the summer holidays. I think it affects students in both ways, positively as well as negatively. In long summer holidays, the students can do online courses that would be very beneficial for them, but unfortunately, it doesn't happen most of the time.

Usually, in many Asian countries, the schools close for two or more months due to unbearably hot weather. There are several cases reported in recent years that explained many kids fainted and even died because of extreme summer. That's why the government decided to give 2 or 3 months' holidays in such countries. The main advantage of long holidays is that students stay at home and stay safe from harsh weather. Some students do online courses like digital marketing, graphic designing, web development, etc. Nevertheless, there are many students who just waste their time sleeping or doing useless activities. Furthermore, they also forget the syllabus that they learned at school, and after vacations, they become fully unprepared. In this way, a lot of students dissipate their time during long vacations, which affects them badly.

In contrast, shorter school holidays have a very pleasant effect on students. It's a very good time for students to get relaxed from their busy daily routine. Moreover, in shorter vacations, students usually do not forget their schoolwork or syllabus, unlike during long school vacations. In shorter holidays, normally students have to be assigned an interesting project from the school, which engages them in learning even if they are at their homes.

Consequently, short-term holidays are better for students' mental health and their studies as well. But during long summer holidays, students do not pay attention to their studies and even forget their syllabus too, because they spend their precious time on useless activities that do not influence their actual life.

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 of ideas is somewhat uneven. While you provide a clear reason for long holidays (safety from extreme weather), the discussion on the 'value' of these holidays is limited to a brief mention of online courses, which you then contradict by stating most students do not do them. The arguments for shorter holidays are more consistent, focusing on academic retention and mental health. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is fully extended with more specific examples or logical consequences rather than repeating the idea that students 'forget their syllabus' multiple times.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, each with a clear focus. You use some cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'Furthermore', and 'Consequently' to link your ideas. However, the progression of ideas within paragraphs is occasionally repetitive, particularly regarding the claim that students forget their schoolwork. The referencing is generally clear, but the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and avoiding the repetition of simple sentence structures. The paragraphing is appropriate and contributes to the overall clarity of your argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'unbearably hot', 'dissipate', and 'mental health'. However, there are some instances of imprecise word choice or slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'affects students in both ways' (better: 'has both positive and negative effects') and 'get relaxed from their busy daily routine' (better: 'unwind from their demanding schedules'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for higher band scores. Expanding your repertoire of collocations would be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is always clear, there are recurring grammatical errors, such as 'the schools close' (should be 'schools close' as it is a general statement) and 'the students can do online courses' (should be 'students can do'). Additionally, there are minor issues with article usage and prepositional phrases. Your control of punctuation is generally good, and the errors present do not impede communication. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles in general statements.

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

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