Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.0 · 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 4.0)
In many countries, primary and secondary have long summer holidays lasting two or more than two months. While some people believe that these extended break is very beneficial for student. On the other hand, some people give arguments in favor of shorter holidays. In this essay we explain the value of long summer holidays at schools and give arguments in favor of shorter school holidays.
Firstly, long vacation give a several advantage for students, because
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 3.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 4.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.0 |
| Overall | 4.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 3.0
The response is significantly under the required word count of 250 words, as it only contains 75 words. Because the essay is incomplete and stops mid-sentence, it fails to address the prompt's requirements for a full discussion of the value of long holidays and the arguments for shorter ones. The ideas are not developed, and the response is essentially an introduction that does not progress into the body paragraphs. To reach a higher band, you must complete the task by providing fully developed arguments with supporting examples for both sides of the issue.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0
The essay is too short to demonstrate a clear logical progression or effective paragraphing. While there is an attempt at an introduction, the lack of body paragraphs means there is no structure to evaluate. Cohesive devices are used in a basic way, such as 'Firstly' and 'On the other hand', but these are not supported by subsequent content. To improve, focus on planning your essay structure before writing, ensuring you have a clear introduction, two distinct body paragraphs for the two parts of the prompt, and a concluding summary.
Lexical Resource — Band 4.0
The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive. There are errors in word form and collocation, such as 'these extended break' (should be 'these extended breaks') and 'long vacation give a several advantage' (should be 'long vacations provide several advantages'). The range of vocabulary is insufficient to demonstrate the flexibility required for higher bands. You should aim to use more precise academic vocabulary and ensure that your subject-verb agreement and pluralization are accurate.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0
There are several grammatical errors in the short text provided. For example, 'primary and secondary have' is missing the noun 'schools'. The phrase 'these extended break is' contains both a plural demonstrative and a singular verb, indicating a lack of control over basic subject-verb agreement. The sentence structure is simplistic, and the incomplete nature of the response prevents the use of a wide range of complex structures. Focus on proofreading your work to correct basic errors in agreement and sentence construction.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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