Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-11

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 todays modern world where everything is increasing like usage of modern technologies, inflation rate and unemployment rate which main cause is lack of education. So the education is very much necessary like starts from pre-primary, then primary and secondary. However in schools students also get holidays like summer vacation, winter vacations, any public holiday so which is good for students or not I will be noting in my essay.

On the one hand long vacations only get in summer in the months of June, July and August. Most probably in some schools in the month of may students final term exams completed after that for 2 months they got vacation which is actually wonderful opportunity for students to take break from studies, spend time with friends, families and by going to abroad or outside the city for vacations and spending holidays. This helps them learn new things about that places, new culture, new environment, new people which Is not only source of fun but they realize many new things from that.

On the contrast, some people say these 2 months holidays are too much long so it needs to be shorten because by this students mind get totally distract from studies and they start their involvement in many bad habits and bad things which they need to avoided. Because in this time period they totally far from books and studies. Usually after 2 months vacation completed so students do not want to go to school back.

I conclude that summer holidays are students right so it might not be shortened because first of all the temperature is extremely harsh in June and july and sometimes rain happened badly which affect on students health, on the other hand with this opportunity parents already planned for their children a big abroad holiday trip for freshen their minds because whole year they do not get long break so its their right to enjoy in this summer vacation.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt, discussing the value of long holidays and the arguments for shortening them. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For example, the argument regarding 'bad habits' is mentioned but not explored in depth. The introduction is overly broad and does not clearly outline the essay's focus. While a position is maintained, the supporting arguments lack specific evidence or detailed reasoning, relying instead on general assertions. To improve, you should provide more concrete examples or logical explanations for your claims rather than simply stating them.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. Phrases like 'On the contrast' (should be 'In contrast') and 'So the education is' create a disjointed flow. The transition between ideas is sometimes abrupt, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the opening paragraph where the connection between inflation and school holidays is tenuous. Improving the variety and accuracy of linking words will help the ideas flow more logically and naturally.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary range is limited and often repetitive. You rely on basic terms like 'bad things', 'good', and 'new things'. There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'vacations only get in summer' and 'rain happened badly'. To reach a higher band, you need to use more precise vocabulary related to the topic, such as 'academic performance', 'extracurricular activities', or 'cognitive development'. Additionally, ensure that you use words in their correct grammatical form to avoid awkward phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the reader's understanding. There are consistent issues with subject-verb agreement ('students mind get'), article usage ('the education'), and sentence structure ('which main cause is lack of education'). While you attempt some complex sentences, they are often punctuated incorrectly or contain errors that affect clarity. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, ensuring that subjects and verbs agree, and using articles and prepositions correctly before attempting more complex structures.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.