Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-12

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 6.5)

Pupils in primary and secondary schools are enjoying summer vacation for two or more months in order to develop their psychological health and experiences through different productive activities. In contrast, arguments are also arising in favor of shorter holiday periods.

The major benefit of expanding holidays is to foster children's productivity because they can have enough time to explore themselves during this period. Due to academic involvement, pupils have to maintain their daily routine properly which which keeps them busy with daily classes, homework, as well as exams. Sometimes it becomes suffocating for them, while they want relief from this boredom. Furthermore, continuous boredom makes them less productive too. At this moment, if they get a long vacation, they can explore themselves by practicing their hobbies. For instance, children can travel, draw pictures, read extracurricular books, play music, learn music, gain new skills, or do whatever they like. Some psychological evidence shows that complete relief from a structured daily routine and better emotional well-being require minimum two months of time.

However, some parents claim that summer vacation should be shorter because they are worried about their children's careers. In their opinion, children can be inconsistent in their studies if they stay away from their academic structures for a long period. Some recent articles in newspapers reveal some evidence about children who dropped out of their studies because they got involved in jobs during those holiday periods and did not want to go back to their hectic life anymore. Additionally, some pupils who joined their studies again seemed to focus as a result of a long break.

In conclusion, long vacations can make children more productive and help them relate their inner soul to the outer world, which can benefit their growth. On the other hand, long holidays can make them inconsistent in their academic life.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both the value of long school holidays and the arguments in favour of shorter ones. The writer's position is clear throughout. Main ideas are supported with relevant explanations and examples, such as exploring hobbies and the concern over academic inconsistency. However, some arguments lack deeper extension; for instance, the point regarding children dropping out to work is introduced abruptly without sufficient elaboration. Overall, the task is well addressed, earning a Band 7.0 for satisfying all prompt requirements with clear, relevant ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organised with a clear progression from introduction to body paragraphs and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two main viewpoints. Cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'Furthermore', 'For instance', and 'However' are employed to guide the reader through the arguments, though some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Referencing is generally clear, and each paragraph has a recognizable central topic. This aligns well with the Band 7 descriptor for logical organisation and flexible use of cohesive devices.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow some flexibility and precision, using terms like 'psychological health', 'suffocating', 'extracurricular books', and 'academic structures'. There is some awareness of collocation and style, although occasional word choice errors occur, such as writing 'seemed to focus' when meaning something like 'seemed to lose focus', and 'minimum two months of time' instead of 'at least two months'. Spelling is accurate throughout, and communication is never impeded. These features reflect a solid Band 6.5 to 7.0 performance.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms effectively, incorporating relative clauses and conditional structures. There are several error-free sentences, demonstrating good control over grammar. However, a few minor inaccuracies and awkward phrasings are present, such as the repeated word 'which which' in the second paragraph, and the preposition choice in 'focus as a result of a long break' where a negative impact was intended. Punctuation is generally sound. The balance of complex structures and control places this response firmly at Band 6.5.

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