Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-02

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 closes for two or more months but it is beneficial for both students and there families.in this essay both the perspectives will be discussed.

the first reason for long summer break is that students need mental rest and also rest from academic pressure. these summer holidays are very important for student as they get time to relax from stressful school life and in this break they can try many different activities , they can focus on themselves to make them better. summer holidays are not waste of time students get time to know their interest they can learn new things like learning a new musical instrument. for example mostly families travel together make memories for lifetime and this is not possible while the school is going on.

however shorter school holidays also have significant advantages. when students spend several months away from their studies they may forget some of the knowledge and skills they acquired during the previous academic year particularly in subjects such as mathematics and languages. as a result teachers may have to spend valuable classroom time reviewing old material instead of introducing new concepts. shorter and more frequent holidays could help students maintain a more consistent learning routine. short school holidays can be advantage for parents who work full time and their work life gets affected as they have to look after there children.

in conclusion long summer holidays help students relax, learn new skills and spend quality time with their families. on the other side short breaks help students not to forget what they have learned and also helpful for working parents. there can be solution that students get short breaks throughout the year so they can be stressful and be focused in their studies.

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. The ideas are relevant, such as mental rest for students and the issue of knowledge retention. However, the development is somewhat superficial. For instance, the point about parents is mentioned but not fully explored in terms of the broader societal or economic impact. The position is clear throughout, but the essay would benefit from more specific examples or deeper analysis to reach a higher band. The introduction is also quite brief and lacks a clear thesis statement outlining the structure of the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, each focusing on a specific aspect of the prompt. There is a clear progression of ideas from the benefits of long breaks to the drawbacks and the counter-arguments. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'the first reason', 'however', 'in conclusion'). Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, and the punctuation is inconsistent, which affects the flow of the text. Better use of linking words and improved sentence-to-sentence transitions would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for a higher band. There is a reliance on common, everyday language (e.g., 'make memories', 'know their interest'). While the meaning is always clear, there are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'they can be stressful' (likely meaning 'less stressed') and 'there can be solution'. To improve, you should aim to incorporate more academic collocations and precise terminology related to education and child development.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation, such as missing articles ('in many countries primary and secondary schools'), subject-verb agreement ('schools closes'), and run-on sentences. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with spacing after periods and commas. These errors do not impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and sentence boundaries would be highly beneficial.

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

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