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)

In many countries, children get two months or more for summer holidays. Although long holidays give students time to rest and learn new skills shorter holidays can be better for learning and parents who are working.

First of all long holidays are very valuable because students need some time to rest. School life is sometimes really stressful with daily homework, regular tests and difficult exams. A long break helps children relax their minds and spend quality time with their friends and family members. Furthermore students can learn many new skills outside of the classroom. For example, during the summer many children join sports clubs, practice drawing, or travel to different places. These kind of fun activities are very important for students and it helps them build confidence in them.

On the other hand, there are also strong arguments for having shorther school holidays.

The biggest problem with long breaks is that students easily forget what they learned in school. When students stop reading or learning for two months they forget important maths formulas or many other things. As a result when school starts, teachers waste first few weeks reviewing old lessons instead of teaching new topics. Another major issue is for parents who are working every day and cannot stay home so they have to pay a lot of money for summer camps or babysitters to look after their children.

In conclusin long summer holidays are great for children to rest, reduce stress and try new activities. However shorther holidays are much better to help students remember their lessons easily and to make daily life easier for working parents.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the value of long holidays and the arguments for shorter ones. The position is clear throughout, and the ideas are relevant. The first body paragraph effectively discusses the benefits of rest and skill-building, while the second paragraph addresses the academic regression and parental childcare challenges. To reach a higher band, the development could be more nuanced; for example, the argument about 'maths formulas' could be expanded with a more sophisticated explanation of the 'summer slide' phenomenon. Overall, the task is fully addressed with a balanced perspective.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two sides of the argument. Cohesive devices such as 'First of all', 'Furthermore', 'On the other hand', and 'As a result' are used to guide the reader through the text. However, the flow is occasionally slightly mechanical. The referencing is generally clear, though some transitions could be more sophisticated to improve the overall cohesion of the argument. The structure is sufficient to ensure the progression of ideas is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to express ideas clearly. There is some use of topic-specific vocabulary like 'stressful', 'confidence', and 'academic regression' (implied). However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are minor spelling errors such as 'shorther' and 'conclusin'. The student relies on fairly common phrases. To improve, the student should aim to incorporate more precise academic collocations and avoid repetitive phrasing. The current level is sufficient to communicate ideas without difficulty, but lacks the flexibility and precision required for a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are recurring grammatical errors, such as missing commas after introductory phrases (e.g., 'First of all long holidays...') and minor subject-verb agreement issues. The punctuation is generally functional, but the occasional missing comma affects the flow. The student shows an ability to use complex sentences, but these are not always error-free. The errors do not impede communication, but they prevent the writing from reaching the level of 'frequent error-free sentences' required for a band 7.

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