Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-01

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 many countries, primary and secondary schools close for around two months during the summer. While long school holidays provide several benefits to students, there are also strong arguments in favour of reducing their length.

There are several important perks of having long school holidays. Firstly, they give children an opportunity to rest after a demanding academic year. Continuous studying can cause exhaustion and stress. Therefore an extended break allows children to relax and return to school with greater motivation. Secondly, holidays provide valuable time for children to develop skills outside the classroom, For instance, they can participate in sports, join different clubs, travel with their families and learn different practical skills.

Respectively, shorter school holidays has multiple advantages. A notable argument is that students are less likely to forget what they have learned when the break is shorter. After a long period away from school, children may need considerable time to revise previous lessons before they can bring new topics effectively. Shorter holidays can therefore help learning outcomes. Another advantage is that they can reduce the childcare problems faced by working parents, who may struggle to find someone to look after their children during long school breaks.

In Conclusion, long school holidays are valuable because they allow students to rest, spend time and pursue activities beyond academic studies. Nevertheless, shorter holidays can help students

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt, discussing the value of long holidays and the arguments for shorter ones. However, the essay is incomplete, ending abruptly in the final sentence. Because the response is 25 words under the 250-word minimum, it fails to fully develop the final argument, leading to an under-developed conclusion. While the ideas presented are relevant and clear, the failure to complete the task significantly impacts the overall task achievement score. To improve, ensure you allocate enough time to fully flesh out your final paragraph and meet the minimum word count requirement to allow for a complete, balanced discussion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a concluding attempt. Paragraphs are used appropriately to separate the two main ideas. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'For instance', and 'Nevertheless' are used effectively to guide the reader through the arguments. However, the abrupt ending disrupts the flow of the final paragraph, which prevents the essay from achieving a higher score. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the lack of a finished conclusion makes the overall structure feel incomplete.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally appropriate for the task, with phrases like 'demanding academic year', 'learning outcomes', and 'childcare problems' demonstrating a sufficient range. There is some minor misuse, such as 'Respectively' at the start of the third paragraph, which is not the correct transition word for introducing a new point; 'Conversely' or 'Alternatively' would have been more accurate. The range is adequate for the task, but the vocabulary remains somewhat standard. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise, less common collocations and avoid minor errors in word choice.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'While long school holidays provide several benefits... there are also strong arguments'. Most sentences are clear and grammatically sound, though there are a few errors, such as 'shorter school holidays has' (subject-verb agreement error) and 'bring new topics' (should be 'grasp' or 'absorb'). Punctuation is generally correct, though the comma usage after 'Therefore' is missing. The grammar is sufficient to communicate ideas clearly, but more variety in complex structures and greater attention to subject-verb agreement would improve the score.

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