Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-16

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 6.0)

All over the world, schools close for two or more months for summer vacations. School holidays are pivotal for the leisure and development of a child because they provide them with free time to get away from daily school burden. Moreover, summer holidays are considered the best time for children to discover their creative side.

Long periods of school holidays help children relax from their similar weekday routine during school days. The children can get involved in numerous other activities such as sports or hobbies. Many families also plan a trip during vacations to spend quality time together. Moreover, travel explorations spark interest and learning in many children. Many primary and secondary schools also provide holidays homework. This keeps the children connected to academics. Furthermore, schools provide different and creative activities for the school holidays so that children remain engaged and interested during longer duration of the vacations. For instance, a visit to museum as part of the homework activity, this not only provide entertainment but also help in gaining knowledge.

Some people assert that months of school holidays are unnecessary. They are of the view that longer holidays makes children lose their interest in school and the usual punctual routine is disturbed. Hence, the children are likely to lose discipline. For instance, a child who is already less interested in studies will consider prolonged vacations as a break through from all school related activities by delaying the tasks and will definitely give a hard time to his parents. Therefore many people are in favour of shorter school holidays which will only give relief to students from school for short and neccessary time.

In conclusion, school vacations are essential for children to get engaged in different activities that are helpful for their entertainment and provide opportunities to rest and spend time with their families. However, shorter school holidays can help children maintain their academic progress so that they do not forget their learning.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, exploring both the value of long summer holidays and the arguments in favour of shorter ones. The writer establishes a clear position throughout the essay. Ideas are generally extended and supported, such as when discussing how family trips spark interest and learning, or how shorter holidays help maintain discipline and routine. However, some arguments remain slightly under-developed, for instance, the mention of holiday homework lacks a fully explained link to why longer durations specifically require it. Nonetheless, the task is competently fulfilled, aligning well with the requirements for Band 6.5 to 7.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay displays a clear logical organisation and overall progression. Information and ideas are divided into coherent paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs addressing both sides of the prompt, and a concise conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'Furthermore', 'Hence', and 'For instance' are used to connect ideas, though some transitional phrasing feels slightly mechanical or repetitive ('Moreover' is used multiple times in close proximity). Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct themes, such as the benefits of holidays versus the arguments for shorter breaks, meeting the criteria for Band 6.5.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common lexical items such as 'pivotal', 'prolonged vacations', and 'academic progress'. However, there are notable word choice and collocation inaccuracies, such as 'daily school burden' instead of 'academic burden', 'holidays homework' instead of 'holiday homework', and 'break through' instead of 'break'. Spelling errors like 'neccessary' also appear. While communication is never impeded, these inaccuracies restrict the score to Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including subordinate clauses ('so that children remain engaged') and conditional constructions. However, grammatical errors occur with some frequency, particularly regarding singular/plural agreement and articles (e.g., 'longer duration of the vacations', 'a visit to museum', 'longer holidays makes children'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but slips in grammar and word forms slightly disrupt fluency. Because errors occur consistently alongside a mix of structures, the performance sits comfortably at Band 6.0.

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