Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-21

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)

It is a common practice in many countries to close schools for about two months of summer holidays. However, not all countries follow that pattern and prefer to have holidays for only a few weeks.

Many people argue that having long school holidays has a number of benefits, such as time flexibility, enough time allocation for sports and physical activities and social contact. Having time flexibility allows parents manage their holidays without extra stress and unnecessary costs. I remember when I wanted to plan one week trip during Chinese National Holidays, ticket prices had skyrocketed so much, that I was left with few very expensive options. Eventually I decided to quit my travelling plan. Therefore parents should have enough time for planning their holidays.

Longer holidays are perfect not only for travelling plans, but also for hobbies, as students usually tend to be overwhelmed with studies during the school year. It's quite common for parents to have their kids join sports clubs where they can learn new skills and make new friends.

Other people, however, are against longer holidays. They prefer short holidays as they are afraid that long holidays can lead to stagnation or loss of the knowledge. Another argument they bring forward is time management. The shorter free time you have, the better one can learn how to manage time more effeciently. I have a friend who always strives for excellence, and he seldom rests as he believes that we shouldn't let our brain to get lazy.

To sum up, I believe both sides have very strong points. I personally prefer the right balance between rest and work.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt, discussing the value of long school holidays (time flexibility for parents, hobbies, and sports) and the arguments in favour of shorter ones (preventing knowledge loss and improving time management). A clear position is established in the conclusion where the author states a preference for balance. Ideas are supported with relevant explanations and a personal example regarding the Chinese National Holidays. However, the development in places feels a bit anecdotal rather than universally analytical, which keeps the task response slightly short of the higher band levels. Nevertheless, all parts of the prompt are covered adequately, fulfilling the criteria for a Band 6.5 or solid Band 6 performance. Overall, the ideas are relevant, and the prompt is clearly answered throughout the body paragraphs.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introductory paragraph, distinct body paragraphs addressing each prompt question, and a brief concluding summary. Cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Many people argue', 'Therefore', and 'To sum up' are used to guide the reader through the text, although some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Paragraphing is logical, separating the benefits of long holidays from the counter-arguments for shorter ones. While referencing is generally clear, occasional mechanical connections slightly restrict the flow, but the progression of ideas remains easy to follow from start to finish, fitting the Band 6 descriptors well.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms such as 'time flexibility', 'skyrocketed', 'stagnation', and 'effeciently' (noting a minor spelling error). There are attempts to incorporate less common vocabulary like 'overwhelmed', 'strives for excellence', and 'extra stress'. While the lexical choice is generally appropriate and allows the message to be communicated clearly, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'loss of the knowledge' instead of 'loss of knowledge'. The spelling slip on 'effeciently' is noticeable, but overall the vocabulary is sufficient to meet the demands of the task at a Band 6 level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including conditional structures and relative clauses (e.g., 'where they can learn new skills and make new friends'). There are several grammatical errors present, such as 'allows parents manage' instead of 'allows parents to manage', 'one week trip' instead of 'a one-week trip', and 'let our brain to get lazy' instead of 'let our brains get lazy'. Additionally, there is a minor spelling/word form error with 'effeciently'. However, these errors do not impede communication, and the sentence structures demonstrate an adequate range for the task, aligning well with the Band 6 descriptor.

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

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