Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-05
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 5.0)
Most countries closes their schools for a time period of two months or more for summer holidays. As the importance of extended school holidays are great because it protects students from severe heat and also give time to spend with their family. Conversely, certain arguments occurs with the support of shorter holidays.
Most areas on our planet faces with severe heat for approximately two to three months, vary with every country and time. In that time period of severe heat, most countries close their schools for two to three months, depending on how much heat there is. For instance, in Pakistan school closes for about two and a half month. These school holidays are very crucial for students, as it saves the students from the severe heat that can cause heat strokes. In addition to these holidays benefits it also give a knowledge seeker much time to spend with their family and to explore world which can benefit them in certain aspects.
Meanwhile, few individuals supports that there must be a shorter school holidays for childrens because it can effect their studies.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, reaching only 182 words. This significantly impacts the development of ideas. While you address both parts of the prompt—the value of long holidays and the arguments for shorter ones—the discussion is superficial. The points regarding heat and family time are mentioned but not sufficiently expanded with detailed examples or logical depth. The argument for shorter holidays is introduced in the final paragraph but remains entirely undeveloped, lacking any supporting reasoning. To improve, you must expand each body paragraph with more detailed explanations and examples to meet the length requirement and demonstrate a more thorough exploration of the topic.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into three short paragraphs, but the progression of ideas is limited due to the brevity of the text. You use some basic cohesive devices such as 'In addition to' and 'Conversely', which help link ideas. However, the transition between the benefits of long holidays and the counter-argument for shorter ones is abrupt. The final paragraph is underdeveloped, making the overall structure feel incomplete. To improve, ensure each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and that you use a wider variety of linking words to create a smoother flow between your arguments and supporting details.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
Your vocabulary is generally adequate for basic communication but lacks the range and precision required for a higher band score. You rely on repetitive phrasing, such as 'severe heat' and 'time period', which appear multiple times. There are also some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'knowledge seeker' to refer to students, which sounds unnatural in this context. To improve, try to incorporate more academic collocations and synonyms. For example, instead of repeating 'severe heat', use terms like 'extreme temperatures' or 'oppressive weather conditions' to demonstrate a more sophisticated command of the English language.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text that occasionally impede clarity. Subject-verb agreement is a recurring issue, such as 'Most countries closes' (should be 'close'), 'arguments occurs' (should be 'occur'), and 'few individuals supports' (should be 'support'). Additionally, there are errors with pluralisation and articles, such as 'a shorter school holidays' and 'explore world'. Your sentence structures are mostly simple, with limited attempts at complex sentences. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and proofreading your work to correct these common errors. Increasing the variety of your sentence structures will also help improve your score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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