Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
In many countries, primary and secondary schools has closed for two or more than two months in summer holidays.
Long school holidays for student is very good time period for them because they enjoyed a lot with their families by going on trips and also visiting their relatives. They enjoyed this time by going out with their friends on different places. Plan a northern trips with a family and with their friends. This is very good for their mental and physical health. For example , when a person hangout with their family and friend so then they released all of its anxiety.
In that time, they also take part in other activities or sports or the thing that they liked. They join any cricket club or any other sports like swimming sessions , football, or badminton etc. They have enough time to learn any kind of skills that is very helpful in future . Skills including courses, mobile repairing, trading , marketing, editing, and designing etc.
In shorter school holidays, student cant relaxed and enjoyed. They have no enough time to hangout with their friends and family and not enough time to plan and kind of trips . In this time period , student have not enough time to learnt any kind of skill or involved in any activity.
In my opinion, long school holidays is good for students because they have enough time to learn skills or take part in the activities which they liked the most for their entertainment.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the value of long holidays and the arguments for shorter ones. However, the development is quite limited. The ideas regarding the benefits of long holidays (family time, skill acquisition) are repetitive and lack depth. The arguments for shorter holidays are also underdeveloped, relying on simple statements like 'student cant relaxed'. To achieve a higher band, you need to provide more nuanced reasoning and specific examples. For instance, instead of listing skills like 'mobile repairing', explain how these holidays impact academic performance or social development. The position is clear, but the overall response lacks the analytical depth required for a higher score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is very mechanical and repetitive. You rely heavily on simple transitions like 'In that time' or 'In shorter school holidays'. There is a lack of sophisticated linking words to connect ideas within and between paragraphs. Furthermore, the progression of ideas is somewhat disjointed; for example, the transition from discussing family trips to listing technical skills feels abrupt. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of cohesive devices (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'on the other hand') and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is basic and often repetitive. You frequently use simple verbs like 'enjoyed', 'liked', and 'have'. There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'Plan a northern trips' (should be 'planning northern trips') and 'released all of its anxiety' (should be 'relieved their anxiety'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the general meaning, it lacks the range and precision needed for a higher band. To improve, try to incorporate more academic collocations and synonyms to avoid repeating the same words throughout the essay.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of reading. There are consistent issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'schools has closed', 'student cant relaxed'), article usage, and pluralisation. The sentence structures are mostly simple or contain errors when you attempt more complex constructions. For example, 'when a person hangout with their family and friend so then they released' is grammatically incorrect and awkward. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, specifically verb tenses and subject-verb agreement, before attempting more complex structures. Proofreading for these common errors would significantly improve your score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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