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 months or more in summer holidays , educational institutions providing holidays are a great break for students in many countries, but somehow a long break makes the student a bit lazy and less responsible for their studies.

Although, talking about long holidays are mostly given in summers as many countries faces high temperatures in summer seasons. But many educational institutions provide summer campus that can make the students busy in the summer activities indoor . Some of the countries go through a cold weather which makes the roads block due to snowfalls.

Moving towards the main topic which is arguments taking place when it comes to holidays for students , majority of the people says that a lot of holidays can make the student less active and irresponsible which may lead to less interest in studies . People says this is

a digital era where AI is taking place and students are getting addicted to technology, short holidays can make the students routine active. The arguments of many people says to not to extend the summer holidays for more then 2 months as it creates a lot of pressure on teachers to make students cover and understand there syllabus, while the parents says that they keep on paying the fees of the educational institutions even if there are off days so why not the student keep on taking there classes in the schools. Additionally, the schools gives a lot of summer work for home that creates more responsibilities for the parents .

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 superficial. While you mention that holidays allow for a break, the explanation of the 'value' is limited. Similarly, the arguments for shorter holidays—such as preventing laziness and reducing pressure on teachers—are introduced but not fully extended with specific examples or logical depth. The position is generally clear, but the essay lacks a formal structure, such as a clear introduction or conclusion, which impacts the overall task response. To improve, ensure each main idea is supported by a concrete example or a more detailed explanation.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is divided into paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. The transition between the value of holidays and the arguments for shorter ones is abrupt. Cohesive devices are used, but they are often repetitive or used incorrectly, such as 'Moving towards the main topic which is...' and 'The arguments of many people says to not to...'. Referencing is sometimes unclear, and the flow between sentences feels disjointed. To improve, use a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'furthermore', 'consequently', 'in contrast') and ensure that each paragraph focuses on a single, well-developed idea that connects logically to the next.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There is frequent repetition of basic words like 'students', 'holidays', and 'many'. Some word choices are unnatural or incorrect, such as 'educational institutions providing holidays are a great break' or 'make the students routine active'. There are also minor errors in collocation, such as 'make students cover and understand there syllabus'. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more sophisticated vocabulary related to education and time management, and ensure that words are used in their correct context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede readability. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'schools closes', 'many countries faces', 'people says'), incorrect use of articles, and confusion between 'their' and 'there'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with spaces placed incorrectly before commas. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and homophone errors to improve your accuracy.

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

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