Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-02

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 6.0)

Maximum countries have long summer vacation in both primary and secondary schools. However, long vacation has both pros and cons. Some people argue that it is beneficial for the students while others consider it to be a shorter period.

In schools, the students have to perform many activities, follow the protocols set by the authority as well as study according to a fixed curriculum. Consequently, the students are more likely to be confined within a set of regulations. Hence, long vacation is definitely an opportunity for them to explore the world outside the school. For example, they can go for a long trip or tour and gather new experiences. As a result, it will definitely reboost them, help to remove their monotony and make them prepared for upcoming academic journeys. Additionally, the students can do numerous productive activities to enhance their skills. For instance, they can learn new skills in this long period of time such as graphics, painting, dancing, playing any instrument etc., which will enrich their creativity and make them inspired to be innovative.

By contrast, some people argue that school vacation should be for a shorter period of time. The reason behind their thought is that staying away from study for longer period of time can make the students indifferent to school. Consequently, they may get bad grade in exams leading them to become school dropout. It is indeed a valid fact that make the parents anxious about their children. Therefore, many people suggest shorter vacation in school so that the students may not be away from studies for a long time. But this issue can be solved if the vacation is utilized in a productive manner by learning new skills or exploring new places, which will help the students to improve themselves in the long run.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both the value of long school holidays and the arguments in favour of shorter ones, maintaining a clear position throughout. However, some ideas are more fully developed than others, which is characteristic of this level. For instance, the benefits of long holidays are well supported with examples such as learning graphics, painting, or dancing, and exploring new places. On the other hand, the counterarguments regarding shorter holidays—such as students becoming indifferent to school or getting bad grades—are introduced but remain somewhat generalised and under-developed. The discussion would be elevated by providing deeper exploration into how shorter breaks specifically impact academic continuity and retention.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear, logical progression of ideas from introduction to body paragraphs and conclusion. Each paragraph has a distinct focus: the first body paragraph explores the benefits of long holidays, while the second presents the opposing view on shorter breaks. However, cohesion is at times somewhat mechanical or repetitive. The student relies heavily on explicit transitional markers such as 'Consequently,' 'Hence,' and 'Additionally,' rather than employing a wider variety of subtle cohesive devices. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and referencing is mostly clear, though smoother transitions between contrasting ideas in the final section would enhance the flow of the argument.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, providing a sufficient range to communicate ideas effectively. The writer attempts less common lexical items, such as 'protocols,' 'monotony,' and 'indifferent,' but encounters some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, phrases like 'Maximum countries' instead of 'Most countries' and 'reboost them' instead of 'rejuvenate them' or 'refresh them' demonstrate limitations in natural phrasing. Furthermore, there are minor slips in word forms, such as writing 'bad grade' instead of the plural 'bad grades.' These errors do not impede communication, but more precise vocabulary control is needed to reach a higher level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The writing exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating an ability to construct compound and subordinate clauses, such as in the sentence: 'For instance, they can learn new skills in this long period of time such as graphics, painting, dancing, playing any instrument etc., which will enrich their creativity.' There are some errors in grammar and punctuation present throughout the text, including article misuse ('staying away from study for longer period of time' instead of 'a longer period'), singular/plural agreement issues ('fact that make' instead of 'fact that makes'), and slight awkwardness in prepositional use. Nonetheless, these errors are relatively infrequent and rarely impede communication, allowing the reader to follow the train of thought easily.

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