Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-29

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)

I believe that two or more months summer holidays in primary and secondary school is fair enough for childrens and families to enjoy vacations and travel somewhere or to visit their extended families and make memories.

When i was in my primary school, i wait for my summer holidays so that i can focus on other outdoor activities like going to the park or going for some workshops or summer camps to enjoy and make new friends. In my summer vacation i usually enjoy going to summer camp for my painting sessions as during school time there's alot of study pressure so i usually keep this activity for my summer holidays. I also visit my aunt in summer holidays she lives 70km away from my house and i also stay there for 1 week.

I believe that one month summer vacations are enough, schools should gave 1 month vacations in winters as well, so that students in primary and secondary schools can enjoy winter outdoor activities as well and can go for ice skating and enjoy family time. Some families prefer to visit hotter area in winter so it will be a good time period for them to visit hotter countries.

I believe that holidays have there own benefits, it helps us to connect with our familes and connect with ourselves as well and to do what we love to do. It helps us to enjoy time without any stress of homework. I believe that two months summer holidays are fair for students

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt, discussing the value of long school holidays (such as travelling, family time, and participating in workshops) and arguments in favour of shorter holidays (such as balancing with winter breaks and reducing study pressure). However, the development of ideas relies heavily on personal anecdote rather than broader societal arguments, which keeps the response at a moderate level of depth. The writer states a position throughout, mentioning that two months are fair, but also suggesting that one-month summer and winter splits might be better. While all parts are touched upon, the arguments remain somewhat personal and under-developed, aligning best with Band 6.0 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The text shows a coherent overall arrangement, and the writer attempts to group ideas into paragraphs. However, the paragraphing is somewhat problematic; the text lacks clear separation between the discussion of long holiday values and the counter-arguments for shorter breaks, resulting in a slightly jumbled structure. Cohesive devices are repetitive, with an excessive reliance on phrases like 'I believe that' and 'and', which weakens the flow of ideas. Paragraphing is not used sufficiently to guide the reader smoothly through the distinct parts of the prompt. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as shifting abruptly between personal experiences and general statements, placing this response firmly in the Band 5.0 range.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully communicating everyday concepts related to school, holidays, and family activities (e.g., 'outdoor activities', 'extended families', 'study pressure'). However, there are noticeable limitations and inaccuracies in word choice and spelling, such as 'childrens' instead of 'children', 'alot' instead of 'a lot', and 'there' instead of 'their'. Less common lexical items are rarely attempted, and the range remains somewhat basic and repetitive, restricting the score to a Band 5.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writing demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, though complex structures are often overly long run-on sentences joined by multiple conjunctions (e.g., 'When i was in my primary school, i wait for my summer holidays so that i can focus on...'). There are frequent grammatical errors, including tense inconsistencies ('i wait' instead of 'I waited'), missing capitalization ('i'), and preposition errors ('in my summer vacation' instead of 'during'). While communication is not severely impeded, these persistent errors and the lack of reliable control over punctuation and complex grammar place the performance at a Band 5.0.

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