Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-04

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 is a common practice globally for education institute to close for several months over the summer. While some argue that these lengthy intervals are crucial for students to developed personal growth and mental relaxation, other supports that shorter breaks would better sustain academic progress.

To begins with, vacation are crucial for students to developed there skills as these holiday period can be utilized in various way mainly- a child can developed an extra ordinary skills which is helpful in future , can travel with friends and family , and many more. Additionally child get relax from his academic schedule and can focus on outdoor activity which can contribute to better health. For instance if child join any skilled activity course in his holidays which help an individuals to maintain his learning flow.

Secondly, long breaks also holds some drawbacks, mainly if education institute closed for several months these can affect on children academic progress. Instead of long holidays schools should changed their curriculum and provide shorter holidays. As shorter holidays carry its own benefits. For example it stop students from forgetting what they learned. Additionally it is more profitable for working parents to maintain their work with childcare. Moreover, at learning age it is crucial to maintain children routine and mental health consistency.

In conclusion , institute should restructured their academic calendar and should understand all the importance and drawback behind the academic holiday. However, a quite good balanced is required in schools which does not affect on children academic progress .

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 of ideas is somewhat superficial. For example, the mention of 'extra ordinary skills' is vague and lacks specific examples of what these skills might be. The argument regarding working parents is relevant but could be expanded to explain the societal or economic impact more clearly. The position is generally clear, but the conclusion is slightly repetitive and lacks a strong summary of the main points. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is supported by a concrete example or a more detailed explanation of the underlying logic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'To begins with', 'Additionally', and 'Secondly', though some are used incorrectly or mechanically (e.g., 'To begins with' should be 'To begin with'). The progression of ideas is generally logical, but the transition between the benefits of long holidays and the drawbacks is somewhat abrupt. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the use of 'these' in the second paragraph without a clear antecedent. Improving the variety and accuracy of linking words would enhance the flow of the essay.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are several instances of word-choice errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'education institute' (should be 'educational institutions') and 'extra ordinary skills'. The student relies on basic vocabulary and struggles with collocations, such as 'maintain his learning flow' or 'mental health consistency'. While the meaning is generally conveyed, the lack of sophisticated or precise vocabulary limits the score. To improve, focus on learning topic-specific collocations and using more academic synonyms for common words.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

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 ('vacation are', 'institute closed'), incorrect verb forms ('to developed', 'should changed'), and missing articles. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage and spacing. While the student attempts complex sentences, these are often marred by errors, which prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on basic grammatical accuracy, such as verb tense consistency and pluralization, is essential for improvement.

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

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