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 numerous countries, primary and secondary schools have long summer holidays lasting for two months or more. While these extended break can provide several benefits for students, shorter holidays may also have some essential advantages.
On the one hand, long holidays can provide students a significant relaxment and refreshment. Students feel mentally and physicaly relaxed. They spend a great deal of time with their family and friends. They travel with their family and go to the peaceful places. They learns new hobbies such as swimming, gardening or any other beneficial hobby. For instance, during the summer vaction, student can go swimming, play sports or learn new skills. Afterwards, in new academic year they return to the institutes with fresh mind.
on the other hand, if student have 2 to 3 months holiday, they may forget some of the things that they have already studied. Shorter holidays make a better and regular connection with institute therefore, students learning skills continuity enhance.If student go regularly school, it make convenient for covering a syllabus in long duration. They do more practice and much more focus is on their lessons. In this way, their exams preparation become excellent. A major drawback of long-lasting holidays is several parents are busy in their daily works, they don't concentrate on their childrens. Therefore, regular classes reduce this type of parents issues.
In conclusion, from my perspective long-lasting holidays are valuable for students relaxment and personal developments. However, 2,3 months holidays affect on students studies. Whereas, moderate or shorter holidays may provide better balance.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both the value of long school holidays and the arguments in favour of shorter ones. The position is clear throughout the essay. For example, the student highlights the benefits of relaxation and family time for long holidays, while pointing out the risk of memory loss and the convenience of regular schooling for shorter breaks. However, some ideas are a bit repetitive and under-developed, relying on general statements like 'go to the peaceful places' or 'learn new hobbies' without deeper elaboration. Nevertheless, the main task requirements are met adequately, fitting the criteria for a Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The essay is arranged coherently with a clear overall structure, including an introduction, body paragraphs addressing each prompt question, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two main viewpoints. Cohesive devices are employed, such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion', which help guide the reader through the text. However, some referencing and cohesive links are slightly mechanical or faulty, as seen in phrases like 'if student have' and 'whereas, moderate or shorter holidays may provide better balance', which disrupt the natural flow. Overall progression is visible, aligning with a Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common words and phrases such as 'refreshment', 'continuity enhance', and 'personal developments'. However, there are several noticeable word-choice errors, non-standard collocations, and spelling mistakes throughout the text. Examples include 'extended break' instead of 'breaks', 'relaxment' instead of 'relaxation', 'physicaly' instead of 'physically', and 'vaction' instead of 'vacation'. While communication is not impeded by these issues, the frequency of lexical inaccuracies prevents the response from achieving a higher band, placing it firmly at Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some attempt at variety with conditional structures ('if student have 2 to 3 months holiday, they may forget...') and relative clauses. However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are frequent errors in subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'student have', 'student go regularly school', 'several parents are... they don't concentrate'), missing pluralisation (e.g., 'childrens'), and incorrect prepositions ('affect on students studies'). Although these errors do not completely prevent the reader from understanding the points made, they occur regularly enough to restrict the score to a Band 5.5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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