Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

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

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)

Holidays are an important part of life. Every person needs time for mental relaxation irrespective of age. Sometimes, people need an out from the same tiring routine and try something new which can be provided in form of holidays. Majority of the countries give summer holidays to school-going kids. This is done because it has mainly become a culture of sort. However, it should be done for mental well being of students which can be granted by long term holidays. In this essay, I will discuss a few points in favour of both long and short term school holidays.

Long school holidays are provided to students so they can take a break from the hectic daily routine. Moreover, it is a great technique to pursue children to enroll in co-curricular activities as it refresh their mindset and help them to brain storm their thoughts. It makes the child more active which would not have been possible with online games and movies. I also believe that some times, long term holidays can make the children slothful and take away their ability to think properly which can also lead them to become sluggish. Many people prefer longer holidays as they can travel easily in a longer period of time.

On contrary to that, short term holidays can be spent productively as well. It also occurs as a change in life but in a much productive way. While many students prefer longer holidays, they can also get bored due to them being excessively long. Shorter holidays are also considered more favourable by parents and guardians as they won't have to tolerate them for a long. Students can be more proactive and won't become indolent.

Holidays carry huge significance in ones life as they serve as a way of mental well being. Students need new activities in their life. Holidays provide them the outlet they need to let go of excessive thoughts so that they can be more active in life.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The student addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both the value of long school holidays and the arguments in favour of shorter ones, such as preventing students from becoming indolent and pleasing parents. A position is presented throughout the essay. However, some ideas are a bit repetitive and under-developed, particularly regarding the specific values and disadvantages. For instance, the mention that holidays are a 'culture of sort' is vague, and the discussion on students becoming sluggish could be supported with more concrete examples. Overall, the task is addressed adequately, placing this response securely in the Band 6 territory.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a logical progression of ideas across paragraphs. Introduction and conclusion are present, and body paragraphs focus on distinct aspects of the prompt. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Moreover', 'On contrary to that', and 'While many students', though some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction, the arguments for long holidays, the arguments for short holidays, and the conclusion. Referencing is generally clear, though occasional minor linking issues place it comfortably at Band 6.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common items such as 'slothful', 'indolent', and 'proactive'. However, there are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, the phrase 'out from the same tiring routine' is unnatural, and 'culture of sort' should be 'a culture of sorts'. Additionally, 'On contrary to that' contains a minor preposition error ('On the contrary'). Despite these limitations and occasional spelling or phrasing slips, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the message without impeding communication, corresponding to a Band 6.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over grammar. Examples include conditional or relative structures like 'which can be provided' and 'so they can take a break'. However, there are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, such as 'mental well being' (missing hyphen), 'it refresh their mindset' (subject-verb agreement error), and 'tolerate them for a long' (missing noun object). Punctuation is generally acceptable, and these errors rarely impede overall communication, fitting the Band 6 descriptor well.

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