Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-26

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)

In many countries, primary and secondary schools close for two months or more in the summar. Some people think that long school holidays are valuable, while the others think that shorter holidays are better. This essay will discuss both views.

Long school holidays have several benefits for students. First, students can get enough rest after studying for many months. They can spend more time with their family and friends. They can also travel, play sports and take part in other activities. For example, children can visit their grandparents or learn a new skills durning the summar breaks. Therefore, long holidays can be useful for students's personal development.

However, there are also arguments in favour of shorter school holidays. If students stay away from a school for a long time, they may forget some of the information that they learned before the holiday. Shorter holidays can help students maintain their study habits. In addition, regular school can give children a fixed routine and more learning time. For example, students can revise their lessons regularly instead of spending two or three months without studying.

in closing, long school holidays are useful because students can rest and enjoy time with their families.

However, shorter holidays can help students to keep their knowledge and study routine. I believe that a balance between study and holidays is important.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt, discussing both the value of long school holidays and the arguments in favour of shorter ones, along with a clear stance. However, because the text contains only 223 words, it fails to meet the minimum 250-word requirement specified in the instructions. This under-length impacts the depth of idea development, leading to a penalty under Task Achievement. While the arguments regarding personal development, rest, and maintaining study habits are relevant, they remain somewhat general and brief. To achieve a higher band, the student must expand their response beyond the 250-word threshold and provide more fully developed examples and explanations for each viewpoint.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay displays a logical overall structure, with an introduction, two distinct body paragraphs addressing each side of the prompt, and a brief conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate ideas. Cohesive devices such as 'First', 'In addition', 'However', and 'For example' are utilised to guide the reader through the text, although some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Referencing is generally clear, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow despite the brevity of the response. Overall, the organizational framework meets the criteria for Band 6, showing a coherent arrangement of thoughts even if the underlying cohesive relationships could be more flexibly managed.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the student to communicate basic ideas about education, holidays, and routines. However, there are several noticeable spelling errors, such as 'summar' instead of summer and 'skills' instead of skill, along with a grammatical error in 'students's personal development'. The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, relying on common words like 'useful', 'value', and 'help'. While the student attempts some less common phrasing, the frequent spelling mistakes and restricted lexical range prevent the response from reaching a higher band. To improve, the writer should focus on expanding their vocabulary with precise academic terms and carefully proofreading their work.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as conditional and subordinate clauses ('If students stay away from a school for a long time, they may forget...'). There is a good proportion of error-free sentences, and punctuation is generally handled correctly. While there are isolated errors like the double spacing ('shorter holidays can') and minor lexical-grammatical slips, these issues rarely impede communication. The control over basic grammar is solid, and the variety of structures used is sufficient to satisfy the requirements of Band 6.

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

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