Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-13

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 4.5)

In the summers many schools aross the country close down for more than two months in order for childrens to have summer holidays. Summer holidays in my opinion are necessary for childrens in order to have a healthy education over the next session of school.

In summer vacation childrens tend to find newer hobbies that have a great affect on their brain and growth. some childrens visit their grandparents and some go to travel other countries this tradition helps bonding between parents and childrens

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response suffers from a critical length issue, containing only 84 words against the required minimum of 250 words. Because of this severe under-length, the task cannot be fully addressed. The writer attempts to cover the first part of the prompt by mentioning the value of summer holidays (e.g., 'necessary for childrens in order to have a healthy education'), but completely fails to discuss the second part of the prompt regarding the arguments in favour of shorter school holidays. Ideas are merely stated without any substantial development, extension, or relevant examples. Consequently, the performance aligns with Band 4 descriptors for Task Achievement due to minimal coverage and failure to address all parts of the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The text is divided into two short paragraphs, showing a basic attempt at organising ideas. However, the overall progression is limited because the text is exceptionally brief. Cohesive devices are largely absent, with sentences simply placed next to each other without clear logical links (e.g., 'In summer vacation childrens tend to find newer hobbies... some childrens visit their grandparents and some go to travel other countries'). Referencing is sometimes unclear, and there is no sophisticated paragraphing. While the text maintains a basic train of thought, the lack of cohesive management and underdeveloped structure restrict it to a Band 5.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, with frequent spelling and word-form errors such as 'aross' instead of 'across' and repeated misuse of 'childrens' instead of 'children'. The writer attempts some topic-related vocabulary like 'summer holidays', 'hobbies', and 'grandparents', but the range is narrow and minimally adequate. Less common lexical items are largely absent, and inaccuracies in word choice and morphology (e.g., 'go to travel other countries') cause some strain for the reader. This performance fits the Band 5 criteria for Lexical Resource.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0

The response demonstrates a very limited range of sentence structures, consisting almost entirely of simple sentences. There are noticeable grammatical errors throughout, such as missing articles ('In summers', 'across the country') and incorrect pluralisation ('childrens'). Punctuation is also neglected, as the sentences lack full stops at their conclusions. While the simple meanings remain generally intelligible, the lack of complex structures and frequent basic errors keep the writing at a Band 4 level for Grammatical Range and Accuracy.

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

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