Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-03
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)
It has been observed that in many nations, there is a trend of giving summer vacation for two or more months in primary and secondary schools. There are myraid of benefits of having long school holidays. However, there are some downsides of this stance, which promotes the significance of shorter holidays, which will be discussed in the ensuing paragraphs.
To begin with, there are various advantages of having longer school holidays. One of the most important aspects is that it enable a good family relationship. This means that when children get more time to spend with their parents and siblings, they can share their feelings and ideas, which enhance the bond between them. Another significant factor is that it reduces stress from students, since they spend a lot of time on studying, which creates immense pressure on them. Students can utilize this time to enjoy by playing different outdoor and indoor games, which make them feel fresh and active. In addition, they can purseu there hobbies, which makes them feel better. For example, if students are free to do what they like, it will automatically improves their mental and physical well-being.
In contrast, there are some drawbacks of longer holidays that supports the view of shorter holidays. One of the important disadvantages is that students loose interest on studying. When students are given longer vacations, they tend to focus more on playing and travelling rather than studying. In other words, they may forgot about the subject matter and can face difficulties in exams. Another crucial factor is that they may get ill when they play outdoor games in very hot summer. For instance, if students play cricket in hot seasin, which is a outdoor game, they may suffer from fever. However, these problems can be tackled with the introduction of shorter holidays.
To conclude, longer holidays foster family relationship and relief stress. It can also make students unwell, and students may lack concentration from study.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
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 family bonding and stress reduction for the first part, and academic regression and health concerns for the second. However, the development is somewhat superficial. For instance, the point about students getting ill from playing cricket in the heat is a weak argument that lacks logical depth. To reach a higher band, you should provide more sophisticated reasoning and ensure that all points are fully extended rather than just stated. The conclusion is also quite brief and does not fully synthesize the arguments presented.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'In contrast', and 'In addition' to guide the reader. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. For example, the transition between the benefits of hobbies and the conclusion of that paragraph is abrupt. Additionally, some referencing is slightly unclear, and the overall progression of ideas within paragraphs could be more sophisticated to avoid a repetitive structure.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using words like 'significance', 'ensuing', and 'tackled'. However, there are several spelling errors ('myraid', 'purseu', 'there' instead of 'their', 'loose' instead of 'lose', 'seasin') and collocation issues ('reduces stress from students', 'lack concentration from study'). These errors occasionally distract the reader. To improve, focus on mastering the spelling of common academic terms and pay closer attention to word choice and collocations to ensure your writing sounds more natural and precise.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('it enable', 'it will automatically improves') and incorrect verb forms ('they may forgot'). Punctuation is generally functional, but the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from being considered error-free. To achieve a higher band, you need to increase the accuracy of your complex structures and proofread carefully to eliminate basic errors in tense and agreement.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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