Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-24

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 widely recognized that in some parts of the world, primary and secondary education schools remain closed for two or more months in the summer break. This essay will first examine the importance of these long summer holidays, for students mental recovery, before arguing that summer break should be shortened so that children can focus more on their academics.

Addressing the first question, the primary reason for these extended holidays is to give students time for mental health recovery. This is driven by the fact that throughout the year students gets exhausted by their academics and they need some leisure time. This extended break allows the students to get back to their full potential. Moreover, these schools give the students summer work booklets which the students have to complete in these holidays that further sharpen the knowledge and skills of the students. I strongly believe that this extended summer break is of significant importance to all the students to help them recover mentally and come back with a stronger focus on their academics.

Some critics argue that these holidays must be shortened, they argue that during this long summer break students are lagging behind on their academics and they forget what they have already learnt. Furthermore, reducing these holidays will help complete the academic course early, thus reducing the financial burden on parents. Shortening these holidays just enough that students can recover mentally and are ready to again shift their focus on their studies and related activities.

In conclusion, These extended summer holidays are crucial for students to recover to their 100% ability, while some may argue that by shortening these holidays one can save cost of education and keep students more focused on academics.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task, examining both the value of long school holidays and the arguments in favour of shorter ones. A clear position is established in the introduction and maintained throughout the essay. Ideas are generally well-supported; for example, the explanation of mental health recovery and academic burnout is relevant and developed. However, some arguments lack complete depth, such as the underdeveloped concluding sentence in the third paragraph. Overall, the task is successfully fulfilled, leaning towards a Band 6.5 or 7.0 descriptor.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay is organized into four logical paragraphs: an introduction, a body paragraph supporting long holidays, a body paragraph supporting shorter holidays, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used to guide the reader, such as 'Addressing the first question', 'Moreover', and 'Furthermore'. However, there are some mechanical transitions and minor punctuation issues, such as starting a sentence with a comma splice in the conclusion ('In conclusion, These extended...'). Paragraphing is clear, but referencing could be smoother in places, placing this aspect firmly at a Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms like 'extended holidays', 'mental health recovery', 'academic burnout', and 'financial burden'. There are some word choice errors and awkward phrasings, such as 'students gets exhausted' instead of 'get', and 'save cost of education' rather than 'save the cost of education'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with occasional inaccuracies, which corresponds well to the Band 6 descriptor.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors present, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('students gets exhausted' instead of 'get') and missing capitalization at the beginning of sentences ('it is widely recognized' and 'In conclusion, These'). Additionally, a run-on structure occurs in the third paragraph: 'Some critics argue that these holidays must be shortened, they argue that...'. Despite these frequent minor errors, meaning is rarely impeded, justifying a Band 6.0.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.