Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-07
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)
Summer vacationons has emerged as a highly debated issue in the contemporary epoch, sparking a considerable debate among individuals and policy makers alike. While a segment of individuals asserts that school holidays should be for two months in summer while others vehemently conted that primary and secondary schools closed for more months could offer a multitude of significant advantages. This essay aims to critically examine both perspectives. Long school holidays offers a plethora of substantial benefits to students, contributing significantly in student's physical development and metal well-being. This not only enables students to unwind after demanding school routine also enhance their learning ability with hightened efficiency. Students are better able to participate in extra curricular activities during summer vacations that are not possible or may be challanging during academic year. Moreover, it facilitates students covering their missing lactures efficiently and acquiring practical skills too for future. For example, I could be better able to cover my syllabus taught in previous month before vacations in summer holidays as well as i coul acquire more time to prepare something extra for future lessons. On the other side, a contrasting school of thought posits that shorter school holidays are more beneficial. Advocates of this perspective maintain that more regular classes play pivotal role in students academic perpomance. In the absence of instructional day, students may encounter substantial difficulties in learning difficult lessons and comprehending complex and unpredictable tasks .Moreover, regular school days or short vacations can offer valuable insights, lessons and long-term development. For example, mediocre students become careless and loose more interests in studies after too long vacations. This example, clearly demonstrates that how long holidays can exert negative impact on students academic progress and intellectual development. In conclusion, although long school vacataions have some demerits like reducing interest in studies and become careless, but its advatanges are particularly substantial. They allow students to come school after school with refresh mind and positive energy, also enhancing their cognitive as well as physical development.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| 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 position is clear throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. While the benefits of long holidays are explained, the arguments for shorter holidays are less detailed and rely on generalisations, such as the claim that 'mediocre students become careless'. The example provided for the first body paragraph is personal and slightly vague ('I could be better able to cover my syllabus'), which limits the depth of the argument. To reach a higher band, ensure that all points are supported by more objective, well-developed reasoning.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is logically organised into clear paragraphs, with an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Moreover', 'On the other side', and 'In conclusion', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'In the absence of instructional day'. Additionally, there are some issues with referencing and sentence-level flow, particularly in the conclusion where the sentence structure becomes fragmented. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the essay would benefit from more sophisticated linking words to improve the overall flow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary range is adequate for the task, with attempts at using less common items like 'contemporary epoch', 'plethora', and 'pivotal role'. However, there are several instances of inaccurate word choice and spelling errors that detract from the quality, such as 'vacationons', 'conted', 'metal' (instead of mental), 'lactures', 'perpomance', and 'loose' (instead of lose). While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a lack of precision. To improve, focus on proofreading for spelling and ensuring that collocations are used correctly in context.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('Long school holidays offers', 'vacations... are... that are not possible'), missing articles, and awkward phrasing ('come school after school'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some inconsistencies in sentence construction. While the meaning is always clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. More attention should be paid to basic grammatical accuracy and the correct use of plural/singular forms.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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