Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-27

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)

Students are given summer holidays which usually are of two months or more in most of the schools.These holidays are the most awaited by the students since it gives them relaxation time after whole year of academic engagement, but some students also waste this precious time with not doing anything productive or not relaxing enough to get themselves mentally ready for next academic year.

Summer holidays are long enough to hold a massive value, considering proper planning either by the students or their parents can give students a whole lot of productive time. Since we are aware that primary and secondary schools are more towards theoretical learning, these holidays can help students in engaging themselves into practical learning by doing some courses online or getting engaged with their fathers for usual household chores. For example, students during summer vacation can easily learn necessary skills to get themselves in any part-time online job which will be of immense benefit once they graduate.

Since most of the students waste their holidays by not utilizing them properly, schools should work on shortening them and organize some sort of learning other than their regular academic schedule. In contrast of this, most schools have already been working on it by organizing summer camps to help students learn necessary survival skills along with keeping them engaged academically and practically by assigning them different projects to work on.

In conclusion, summer vacations are important to give students sometime to work on themselves but since time is very precious, it should not be wasted by simply sitting at home and should be properly utilized.

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 and the arguments in favor of shortening them. The position is clear throughout the essay. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited and repetitive in places. For instance, the discussion on practical learning mentions taking online courses or doing household chores, but these points are not fully extended. Similarly, the argument for shorter holidays briefly mentions school-organized summer camps and projects, yet the reasoning remains at a general level. To reach a higher band, the ideas would need more robust support and specific elaboration. Overall, the task is adequately addressed, aligning well with the Band 6 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay presents a clear overall arrangement with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Information and ideas are generally presented in a logical sequence, moving from the definition and value of holidays to the counter-argument for shorter breaks. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical. For example, the transition phrase 'In contrast of this' is inaccurate and awkward. Paragraphing is utilized, though the third paragraph attempts to blend the concept of shortening holidays with existing school-run summer camps, which slightly muddies the logical progression of the argument. Referencing and cohesive devices are adequate, but they lack the flexibility and smooth flow required for a Band 7.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms such as 'academic engagement', 'theoretical learning', and 'survival skills'. There are, however, noticeable word choice and collocation inaccuracies throughout the text, such as 'with not doing anything' instead of 'by not doing anything', and 'getting engaged with their fathers' rather than 'assisting their parents'. Furthermore, expressions like 'hold a massive value' sound slightly unnatural. While these lexical slips and minor inaccuracies do not impede overall communication, they prevent the essay from achieving a higher band score, fitting comfortably within the Band 6 criteria.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over grammar. Examples include 'Since we are aware that primary and secondary schools are more towards theoretical learning...' and 'Summer holidays are long enough to hold a massive value...'. Nevertheless, there are several grammatical errors and punctuation issues. For instance, the missing space after the period in the first sentence ('schools.These'), incorrect prepositions ('in most of the schools'), and awkward phrasing ('for next academic year' missing an article). Complex structures frequently contain minor errors. While these issues do not impede comprehension, they indicate a level of grammatical control consistent with Band 6.

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

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