Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)
It is a ritual in many nations to declare a vacation that lasts for two months or longer during the summer season for school going children. This essay will discuss the importance of such long leaves as well as the merits of keeping the duration of these holidays shorter in subsequent paragraphs.
To begin with, there is no official government instruction regarding the length of summer holidays, it is the particular institute who decides the duration. From my way of thinking, vacation is kept longer during summer season because of the hot temperatures of the climate. One of the finest example is India as in peak summer the temperature of states near the equator reach up-to 45 to 50 degrees (in Celsius). Due to this high heat kids may drain out or suffer from heat-stroke. Moreover, school has to avoid activities in the playground as students get dehydrated and may have health issues.
Another significant reason is that, this is the time when pupils have cleared there main examinations and entered into higher standard, so that they require enough time to prepare themselves mentally for more complex studies. Moreover, during long breaks learners can work on strategies to score more in higher grades and also get opportunity to get specialization in new skills like swimming, dancing and sports of their choice which is not possible during the academics.
However, if these holidays are granted for lesser days it can benefit the students in several ways such as keeping them enthusiastic for studying without getting distracted from homely environment. This is because if the child stays at home with family for longer duration they become so comfortable that they might struggle to continue schooling, leaving all the facilities and cozy house vibes.
To conclude, from my perspective, though short breaks assist kids to get back to academics easily but the fact remains that health of the students should be kept in priority
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the value of long holidays and the arguments for shorter ones. The ideas are relevant and generally well-supported, such as the mention of extreme heat in India and the benefits of extracurricular skill development. However, the conclusion is incomplete, ending abruptly without a final sentence, which impacts the overall development of the position. While the main points are clear, the discussion on the 'disadvantages' of long holidays could be more nuanced, as the argument regarding 'cozy house vibes' is slightly underdeveloped and lacks a formal tone.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'To begin with,' 'Moreover,' and 'However,' which help guide the reader through the argument. However, there are instances where the flow is slightly mechanical, and some transitions feel repetitive. The referencing is generally clear, though the lack of a completed concluding sentence leaves the final paragraph feeling disjointed. Overall, the progression of ideas is coherent, but the use of cohesive devices could be more varied and sophisticated to reach a higher band.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There are some good collocations like 'peak summer' and 'extracurricular activities' (implied). However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice or awkward phrasing, such as 'school going children,' 'cleared there main examinations' (should be 'their'), and 'cozy house vibes,' which is too informal for an academic essay. To improve, the student should focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and ensuring correct word forms and spelling throughout the text.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, including punctuation issues (e.g., comma splices in the second paragraph), subject-verb agreement errors ('it is the particular institute who decides'), and incorrect pronoun usage ('there' instead of 'their'). These errors do not impede communication, but they are noticeable. To achieve a higher score, the student needs to demonstrate better control over complex structures and reduce the frequency of basic grammatical slips.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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