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)

Schools in summer close for two month holidays. The holidays provide children's to visit their relatives built strong relation ships make more friends relax themselves from constant pressure of competition. However after they come back they would have to revise previous cleared sections and again focus themselves towards studying as well.

The long schools holidays in summer provides children a relaxed state of mind as they get free from constant competition and comparison they get to visit their relatives that live far away build strong relationship. They get to travel different places that have long lasting memories with them and make friends along the way. Furthermore they can work on their hobbies as well and improve their creativity during these long holidays.

In contrast, Many people favor short holidays as some working parents are not able to look after or give enough time to their young one's during these long holidays. When the long holidays end and children's come back to school teacher have to revise previously covered topics as well.

In conclusion, long school holidays relaxes children's mind from constant comparison they can travel with their family meet their cousins and make childhood memories they can devote their time to hobbies that they have interest in devote their time learning new skills they can learn to cook wash their own clothes and much more. But many parents who work don't get enough time to look after their children's which is why they prefer shorter holidays meanwhile teachers don't have to revise previous topics after a short holiday.

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 somewhat repetitive. The points regarding 'visiting relatives' and 'relaxing the mind' are mentioned in the introduction, the second paragraph, and the conclusion without significant expansion or new insights. To reach a higher band, you should aim to explore the implications of these points more deeply—for example, discussing the long-term psychological benefits of rest or the specific economic impact on working parents. The position is clear, but the lack of depth in supporting arguments limits the 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 quite basic and sometimes mechanical. For instance, the transition between the second and third paragraphs is abrupt. There is also a lack of variety in linking words; you rely heavily on simple conjunctions. Furthermore, the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the use of 'they' when referring back to children or parents. Improving the flow between sentences using a wider range of cohesive devices would significantly enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. You use common phrases like 'make friends' and 'long lasting memories' repeatedly. There are also some issues with word formation and pluralisation, such as 'children's' (used incorrectly as a plural) and 'relation ships' (should be one word). To improve, try to incorporate more academic collocations and precise terminology related to education and child development. The range is sufficient to convey your meaning, but it does not demonstrate the flexibility expected at higher levels.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'The long schools holidays... provides') and incorrect pluralisation (e.g., 'children's' instead of 'children'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with several run-on sentences and missing commas that make the text harder to read. While you attempt to use complex structures, they are often marred by errors. Focusing on basic grammatical accuracy and sentence boundary control will help you achieve a more professional and error-free tone.

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

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