Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-22

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 6.5)

In several countries, elementary and secondary schools provide children with summer vaction for a period of two or more months. While a long holiday period can be a much needed break from the hectic school schedule and provides with time to engage in extra-curricular actiivities, it can have an adverse effect on children if they do not utilize it productively.

The primary benefit of a long summer vacation is that it can provide children with the time to unwind and indulge in other activites. They can participate in voluntary programmes, play sports, develop their hobbies and even do research. This period helps them to take trips with friends or family and spend more time with them. It provides them with ample time to develop their habits like reading, writing or in an area they feel inclined to. In addition, students are better off staying at home than attending classes in the scortching heat and become vulnerable to catching sun burns, hypothermia, etc.

On the other hand, this period can be detrimental in the development of a child if they use it counter-productively. Many children may use this time to play more video games, watch television or surf social media. Leading a sedentary lifestyle with uncontrolled eating habits can lead to lifestyle diseases like obesity, etc. Some children may not have a healthy family situation where the parents can provide necessary attention, therefore long periods of isolation from friends can be depressing and negatively affect their mental health. Consequently, some people advocate for a shorter duration.

There should be a healthy balance in place. Schools can introduce summer programs and teachers can regularly check with students to see if they are using thier holidays productively. They can be given assignments, provisions for extra-curricular activities and councelling to support the students in their hard times.

In conclusion, a long vacation period is not necessarily a drawback provided children utilize it actively and schools, parents and society should ensure the same.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt directly, examining the value of long school holidays and the arguments in favour of shorter ones. The writer presents a clear position and supports ideas with relevant examples, such as participating in voluntary programmes, playing sports, and the risks of a sedentary lifestyle. The arguments are well-developed throughout the body paragraphs, and the conclusion successfully synthesises the main points. The student covers all requirements of the task comprehensively, meeting the criteria for a Band 7.0 performance.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay displays a clear logical organisation and progression from the introduction to the conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with distinct paragraphs dedicated to the introduction, the benefits, the drawbacks, school interventions, and the conclusion. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, such as 'In addition', 'On the other hand', and 'Consequently', though some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Referencing is generally clear, contributing to an overall coherent piece of writing that fits the Band 7 descriptors.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary for the task with some flexibility and precision, such as 'hectic school schedule', 'sedentary lifestyle', and 'detrimental'. There are attempts to use less common items, though a few spelling and word-choice errors occur, including 'vaction' for vacation, 'actiivities' for activities, and 'scortching' for scorching. Another slip involves 'thier' instead of 'their'. These errors are occasional and do not impede communication, placing the response firmly at Band 6.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including conditional and relative clauses. There is good control over punctuation, but a few grammatical inaccuracies are present, such as the missing object or awkward phrasing in 'provides with time' instead of 'provides time' or 'provides them with time'. There is also a spelling error in 'councelling' instead of counselling. Despite these errors, they do not impede communication, and frequent error-free sentences support a solid Band 6.5 score.

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