Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
Primary and secondary schools have summer vacations of two or more months in alot of the countries.
These long holidays are seen as a source of pure joy and unlimited entertainment for the kids. They get to spend more time playing with their friends, enjoy time learning differernt sports, and have plenty of free time. Kids enjoy these holidays specifically because they can travel to far away places either to meet their relatives, grandparents, or friends, or they can travel abroad with their family as they do not have to go to school. Moreover, these long vacations can be used for educational purposes as well. For instance, kids who are weak in a particular subject or fell behind because of any reason, can use this time to overcome their short comings. This is a good time for the kids to adopt some new skills as well.
On contrary, such long vacations have their disadvantage as well. If children do not practice regulary or study during vacations at all, they tend to forget things easily, which can cause them distress when the school reopens and they have to learn everything from the start. In that case, shorter school holidays are a better solution as kids can enjoy their free time and not be at the risk of forgetting everything they have learned so far.
Overall, the main point lies in whether they are being exposed to some educational content while being on vacations. If so, then the length of holidays does not really matter.
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 all parts of the task by discussing the value of long school holidays, such as leisure, travel, and catch-up learning, while also examining the arguments for shorter holidays, such as preventing learning loss. However, the development of ideas remains somewhat general and lacks extended supporting examples. For instance, the mention of traveling abroad or overcoming shortcomings is stated without specific elaboration. While the student maintains a clear overarching position, the ideas in the body paragraphs need further depth and explanation to reach higher bands. Nevertheless, all prompt requirements are adequately covered, matching the Band 6 descriptor where all parts are addressed and relevant ideas are presented.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction and conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the discussion on long holidays from the arguments for shorter breaks. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or features minor lapses. Phrases like 'On contrary' contain minor prepositional errors, and transitions between sentences can feel abrupt. Referencing is generally clear, but the logical progression between some points could be smoother. The use of cohesive devices is adequate for the task, though slightly limited, placing it comfortably in the Band 6 descriptor.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms such as 'unlimited entertainment', 'educational purposes', and 'overcome their short comings'. There are some spelling and word-choice errors, such as 'alot' (should be 'a lot'), 'differernt', 'short comings' (should be 'shortcomings'), and 'regulary'. Despite these limitations, the vocabulary used is sufficient to communicate the main ideas without impeding the reader's understanding. This aligns well with the Band 6 criteria, which highlights an adequate range with some spelling and word-choice errors that do not impede communication.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as conditional structures ('If children do not practice regularly...') and relative clauses ('kids who are weak in a particular subject...'). There are several grammatical and punctuation errors throughout the text, including 'in alot of the countries', 'On contrary' (instead of 'By contrast' or 'On the contrary'), and spelling errors. However, these errors rarely impede communication and the basic meaning remains clear. The control of grammar shows a reasonable mix of structures, justifying a Band 6 score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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