Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-28

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 many countries , schools provide students with an extended break during the summer, which can last for two months or even longer. While long holidays can offer severals important benefits to students and their families, shorter holidays may also have certain advantages. This essay will discuss both aspects in detail.

There are several reason why long school holidays are valuable. Firstly, they give students sufficient time to rest and recover after a demanding academic year. Continuous studying can be mentally exhausting , so an extended break can help children return to school feeling refreshed and motivated. Secondly , long holidays provide an opportunity for students to spend quality time with their families and particitpate in activites that are not possible during the school term. For instance, families can travel to different palces, while children can learn partical skills such as cooking , swimmig or playing musical instruments. Moreover, students can use this period to develop hobbies and explore their personal intersets.

On the other hand , there are convincing arguments in favour of shorter school holidays. The most significant advantage is that students can maintain their academic routine and are less likely to forget what they have learned. After a very long break , children may need considerable time to revise previous lessons before starting new topics. Shorter holidays can reduce this problems and help students remain connected with their studies throughtout the year. Furthermore, shorter breaks may provide a more consistent learning schedule, which can be particularly beneficial for younger students. For example, regular study periods with shorter holiday can help children develop disciplined study habits.

In conclusion, long school holidays are valuable beacuse they allow students to relax, spend time with their families and pursue interests. However, shorter holidays can help students maintain their academic knowledge and establish a more regular leaning routine. Therefore, both approaches have their own advantages depending on students's educational and personal needs.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by discussing both the value of long school holidays and the arguments in favour of shorter ones, as instructed. A clear position is maintained throughout the response. In the second paragraph, the writer outlines the value of long holidays, citing reasons such as rest, family time, and skill development, supported by examples like traveling and learning to swim or cook. The third paragraph effectively presents the counterarguments, explaining how shorter breaks help students maintain academic routines and avoid forgetting previous lessons. Ideas are well-developed and extended appropriately throughout the essay, meeting the criteria for a Band 7.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay displays clear logical organisation and a logical progression of ideas throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct central topic, moving from an introduction to the value of long holidays, then to the benefits of shorter holidays, and concluding effectively. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'Moreover', and 'On the other hand' are used to connect ideas, though paragraphing and transitions are at times a little formulaic. Referencing is generally clear, and the overall structure meets the requirements of a well-organised response, aligning comfortably with a Band 7.0 descriptor.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate to sufficient range of vocabulary for the task. Less common lexical items are attempted, such as 'demanding academic year', 'mentally exhausting', and 'consistent learning schedule'. However, there are some minor spelling errors and typos present in the text, such as 'severals', 'particitpate', 'activites', 'palces', 'partical', 'swimmig', 'intersets', 'beacuse', and 'leaning'. While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the lexical score from reaching higher bands. The student shows an awareness of collocation and style, which secures a solid Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms effectively, demonstrating good control over complex structures such as conditional and subordinate clauses (e.g., 'While long holidays can offer several important benefits...', 'After a very long break, children may need considerable time...'). There are some minor grammatical and punctuation errors, such as spacing issues before commas and occasional slip-ups like 'reduce this problems' (instead of 'these problems') and 'students's' (instead of 'students''), but these errors rarely impede communication and the majority of sentences are grammatically sound. This performance sits securely at Band 7.0.

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