Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
In present age, children of primary and secondary schools getting off for two months or more in summers for summer breaks. many individuals believe that a long break from school can not be beneficial for students. We will discuss both the importance of having long summer breaks and disadvantages also.
One the one hand, a long break of around 2 months can be advantageous for students. students can learn many other things and they can develop many other hobbies which can help them in future. Individuals can work on there weak points and come back with a strong mindset because attending classes daily can be stressful for many individuals. For instance, attending Mathematics lecture daily and practicing continuously can become boring so taking a break from it is a positive point.
On the other hand, having a long break can be a negative point if individuals taking disadvantage of that, for example if a student is just wasting the time on using internet for no use and playing video games all the day and watching movie can spoil the whole vacation, it results as a failure. Other than that, some students went for hill area to spend their vacation in summers and forgot to learn new skill and doing their holiday homework.
In conclusion, if individual is not serious about studies then these vacation is not a plus point but if someone wants a break from studies and also wants to focus on other hobbies then it would be a better point for student. So it depend upon person to person how he or she manage the time.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| 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. However, the development is somewhat limited. While you mention that students can develop hobbies, this point is not fully extended with specific examples or deeper analysis. The arguments for shorter holidays are also quite brief, focusing primarily on the risk of wasting time. To achieve a higher band, you should provide more detailed explanations and perhaps a more balanced discussion of the educational or social implications of school schedules. Your position is clear, but the overall depth of the argument remains at a basic level.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your argument. You use basic cohesive devices like 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand' to signal shifts in the argument. However, the transition between ideas within paragraphs is sometimes mechanical, and the use of referencing is occasionally unclear (e.g., 'it results as a failure'). The conclusion is a bit repetitive and does not fully synthesize the points made earlier. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each sentence flows naturally into the next would enhance the coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on common, repetitive phrasing such as 'positive point' and 'negative point'. There are also some issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'getting off for two months' instead of 'have a break' or 'vacation', and 'taking disadvantage of that' instead of 'taking advantage of that'. To improve, try to incorporate more academic collocations and precise terminology related to education and time management to demonstrate a wider range of vocabulary.
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 distract the reader. For example, 'In present age' is missing an article, 'students can learn many other things and they can develop' is repetitive, and 'some students went for hill area' contains errors in article usage and prepositional phrasing. Additionally, there are issues with subject-verb agreement and tense consistency, such as 'if individual is not serious' and 'these vacation is'. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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