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)
In many country from so many years, primary and secondary educational schools get closed for two months or more in the summers.
Primary and secondary educational schools get closed for two months or more in the summers because of the hot winds which hit us may damage the health of the children studying in school and especially in our country summer holiday are given because, right before the summer season starts the children studying in secondary schools complete there annual examinations.
On the other hand, there are various advantages of having two to three months of holidays because I personally feel that summer holidays are very valuable for children because children can learn anything thing easily at that particular age and also the parents start engaging them in some work or extracurricular activities like sports, dance, singing and other activities like drawing and painting. This helps the children to open up and show their talent who believed in them.
Furthermore, many people enjoy their holidays by spending time with their friends and family but it depends on person to person few may also visit their own villages and explore them with their cousins and family members. Travelling is also done by people all around the world during their summers because it gives them peace of mind with no work stress. There are also few arguments in favour of shorter school holidays because many people believe that children may get totally distracted and they never concentrate on studies anymore and also they may loose there self discipline.
In conclusion, summer holidays are very valuable for children and they can learn anything thing easily at that particular age. However, we should enjoy our holidays by spending time with their friends and family where we can learn ethics and values.
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 superficial. The explanation regarding the 'hot winds' is a bit anecdotal and lacks a broader academic perspective. While the benefits of extracurricular activities and family time are mentioned, they are not fully extended or supported with clear examples. The argument for shorter holidays is briefly touched upon, mentioning distraction and loss of discipline, but this section lacks depth. To improve, you should aim to provide more detailed reasoning and clearer links between your points and the overall topic of educational impact.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often repetitive or mechanical. For example, the phrase 'and also' is used frequently to link ideas, which limits the flow. The transition between the benefits of holidays and the arguments for shorter ones is abrupt. Additionally, some sentences are run-on, such as the second paragraph, which makes the progression of ideas feel slightly disjointed. Improving the variety of linking words (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'conversely') and ensuring each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would enhance the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. There is significant repetition of basic words like 'children', 'holidays', and 'activities'. Some phrasing is unnatural, such as 'In many country from so many years' and 'learn anything thing easily'. While the meaning is clear, the lack of sophisticated vocabulary and occasional word-choice errors (e.g., 'loose' instead of 'lose') suggest a limited range. To improve, focus on using more academic collocations and synonyms to avoid repeating the same words throughout the essay.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay relies heavily on simple sentence structures. While there are attempts at complex sentences, they often contain grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('summer holiday are given') and incorrect pronoun usage ('show their talent who believed in them'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some sentences being overly long and lacking necessary commas. The frequent errors in basic grammar, such as 'there' instead of 'their' and 'loose' instead of 'lose', indicate a need for more careful proofreading. Increasing the variety of sentence structures and focusing on accurate verb forms will help improve this score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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