Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-10

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)

Many countries provide two or more than two months holidays for primary and secondary schools in the summer.

On the beginning, if schools are closed for longer periods in the summer holidays then the students can enjoy their free time at home with their parents. They can also develop new skills and knowledge such as coding, programming, painting and other extra activities in their free time. Many parents take their child for vacation trips where they can relax and refresh their mind from studies. They have the opportunity of improving their bad habits like waking up late, helping their parents, and so on.

However, long summer breaks cause students to forget what they learned, forcing teachers to waste weeks reviewing old material instead of teaching new lessons. Shorter, more frequent breaks help students remember facts. Students whose parents are working struggle to supervise children or pay for care during a two to three month break. Shorter holidays are better with the student's parents who are working all day. Peak summer holiday periods allow travel companies to raise prices significantly which cause extra expenses whereas short holidays can make family trips more affordable. After a long holiday, students and teacher become used to it and are exhausted to come school. Therefore, shorter holidays help to reduce tiredness and exhaustion to the teachers and students.

In conclusion, long holidays are significant for students as well as short ones. In my point of view, schools should combine both of these ways of arranging holidays for their students to keep interest for study and avoid burnout.

AI examiner evaluation

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. The ideas are relevant, such as skill development for the former and childcare/academic continuity for the latter. However, the development is somewhat superficial. For example, the point about 'improving bad habits' is vague and lacks clear explanation. While the position is clear, the arguments could be more thoroughly supported with specific examples or deeper analysis to reach a higher band. The conclusion is a bit brief and does not fully synthesize the arguments presented.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'On the beginning' (which is slightly unnatural), 'However', and 'In conclusion'. While the flow is generally logical, some transitions are mechanical. The referencing is mostly clear, though the connection between sentences in the second paragraph could be smoother. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two main viewpoints, which helps the reader follow the argument structure effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There are attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'exhausted', 'significant', and 'affordable'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'On the beginning' instead of 'To begin with' or 'Initially', and 'used to it and are exhausted to come school' which is grammatically and lexically awkward. The range is sufficient but lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'two or more than two months holidays' (should be 'a two-month holiday or longer'), 'take their child for vacation trips' (should be 'take their children on vacation'), and 'exhausted to come school' (should be 'exhausted to return to school'). These errors are noticeable but do not significantly impede communication. A wider range of error-free complex structures would be needed for a higher score.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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