Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-08
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)
Nowadays, there are numerous countries where primary and secondary schools are closed for two months or more during the summer holidays. Additionally, there should be changes in the schedule that are crucial to shorter school holidays.
Firstly, school systems allow long holidays in both primary and secondary schools. Parents plan their vacations according to the time period. Two or more months are not too much because students study a whole year. The year is full of stress due to classes, mock tests, and exams. Their whole year is very packed, so students deserve the holidays. During this time, students enjoy their freedom from studies and plan get-togethers with their friends. Even though some students enroll in different courses, which they really want to do, including pottery, swimming, and karate classes etc.
Conversely, some parents are satisfied with this rule, but others are concerned about it. Those two months or more are a big loss, and it also diverts students' minds from their studies as well. After this duration, they do not have interest in restarting their studies, and it really
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, as it is only 180 words long and remains unfinished. Consequently, the development of ideas is severely limited. While the essay touches upon the value of holidays and mentions concerns regarding academic regression, the arguments are underdeveloped and lack sufficient depth or supporting examples. The response does not provide a clear conclusion or a balanced discussion of the arguments in favour of shorter holidays, which is a requirement of the prompt. To improve, you must ensure you fully address all parts of the question and provide enough content to meet the length requirement.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay is organised into paragraphs, and there is a basic attempt at logical progression using transition words like 'Firstly' and 'Conversely'. However, because the text is incomplete and ends abruptly, the overall coherence is significantly impacted. The flow of ideas is interrupted by the unfinished sentence at the end. To improve, ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and that your ideas are fully developed before moving on to the next point. Using a wider variety of cohesive devices would also help to connect your arguments more fluidly.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is generally functional but quite basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'big loss' and 'diverts students' minds' are somewhat simplistic. There is an attempt to use specific vocabulary related to the topic, such as 'mock tests' and 'enroll', but the range is limited. To achieve a higher band score, you should aim to incorporate more precise, academic vocabulary and collocations. For example, instead of 'big loss', you could use 'significant academic setback' or 'detrimental impact on learning'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'there should be changes in the schedule that are crucial to shorter school holidays,' which is slightly awkward. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the incomplete nature of the final sentence makes it impossible to assess the full range of your grammatical control. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of complex sentence structures and ensure that your sentences are complete and grammatically sound.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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