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)
In some nations, primary and secondary schools undergo summer holidays for two months. What is the value for long school holidays? What are the arguments in favour of short holidays. In this essay, i will discuss both perspective while i make my opinion.
Long vacation during the summer season has allowed school children enough time to be with their families which gives parents the good opportunities to take care of their children and teach family values and bond with them. It has also provided families ample time to go on tour to their preferred or proposed countries together as a family. During this period of being together, mothers will teach their children how to make some meals and do some domestic chores as a way of inculcating good morals to them.
some other argue in favour of shorter holidays, this is so true because, long holidays have a way of making children to forget what they have learnt in school. During this short holiday, the parent can easily focus on this work not thinking so much about their at home as in the case of longer holidays
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, reaching only 187 words. This significant under-length prevents the full development of ideas, resulting in a superficial treatment of the prompt. While both parts of the question are addressed, the arguments are underdeveloped and lack specific examples or depth. The introduction is repetitive, and the conclusion is entirely missing. To improve, you must expand your arguments with detailed explanations and concrete examples, ensuring you meet the length requirement to allow for a comprehensive discussion of the topic.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the progression of ideas is limited by the brevity of the text. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'It has also provided' and 'During this period', but they are somewhat mechanical. The transition between the two main body paragraphs is abrupt, and the lack of a concluding paragraph makes the overall structure feel incomplete. To achieve a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence followed by supporting details that flow logically into the next point.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. Phrases like 'go on tour' and 'make some meals' are functional but basic. There are some awkward collocations, such as 'inculcating good morals to them' (inculcating values in them) and 'proposed countries'. The range is limited, and there is little evidence of less common lexical items or idiomatic language. To improve, try to incorporate more academic vocabulary related to education and social development, and pay closer attention to natural word combinations.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation. For example, 'some other argue' should be 'others argue', and 'making children to forget' should be 'making children forget'. There are also issues with article usage and subject-verb agreement. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to lower the score. Focus on proofreading your work to correct basic grammatical slips and aim to use a wider variety of complex sentence forms with greater accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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