Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-06

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)

Primary and secondary schools remain closed for two months or more during summer holidays in many countries. The benefit of longer summer holidays is that students can recover from academic pressure and pursue activities outside school, while supporters of shorter holidays argue that some parents cannot afford the cost of summer activities and students spend excessive time using digital devices.

Students of primary and secondary schools usually have a daily routine that they follow throughout the whole year. Following the same routine for five days a week in a year can have a negative impact on the student health and can cause exhaustion mentally as well. For example in Pakistan, students usually study 8 hours a day which are divided into multiple parts. First they study for four to five hours at school then majority parents do send students to academies as well to prepare them well enough which adds another three hours on top of five hours. As a result they are exhausted and do not have any energy left to spend on other part of their life. Summer holidays plays vital role in these type of situations so that student recover from this burnout and during this time they have less strain on their mental health as well.

However, parents argue that summer school holidays should be shorter as the students spend excessive time using digital devices such as playing games or watching content on social media applications. Constantly using digital devices put a lot of strain on the eyes of students and parents don't want their students to suffer any health related issues. Another argument parents argue is that they cannot afford the costs of summer activities of their children. Since students have a lot of time free on their hands they easily get bored and in order to elevate their mood parents have to spend money on different activities such as taking them to play area, museums and many more.

In conclusion, long summer holidays can allow students to recover from the academic pressure and same routine they have been following throughout the whole year whereas shorter holidays can reduce the negative impacts of activities and help parents to afford their summer activities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses both questions and presents a clear contrast: long holidays give students a break from academic pressure, while shorter holidays may limit excessive screen use and reduce the burden of arranging activities. The Pakistan example adds relevant support, particularly the account of school and academy hours. However, the benefits of long holidays are developed more fully than the case for shorter ones. The shorter-holiday discussion focuses on screen use and parents’ costs, but does not explain clearly how shortening the break would address these problems; for instance, students might still use devices during a shorter holiday. Develop this link and add a more balanced explanation of the educational or family benefits of shorter breaks to make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay has a clear overall structure: an introduction previews both sides, separate body paragraphs discuss each position, and the conclusion summarises the contrast. Ideas generally progress logically, and transitions such as “However” and “In conclusion” help guide the reader. Within the first body paragraph, the sequence from students’ routine to exhaustion and then the role of holidays is easy to follow. Some connections are less smooth or precise, however. The sentence beginning “Another argument parents argue” repeats the same idea awkwardly, and the conclusion’s reference to “the negative impacts of activities” is unclear because the preceding paragraph discusses screen use and activity costs. Use more precise referencing and vary transitions so cohesion feels less formulaic.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for discussing school routines, wellbeing and family costs, with useful expressions such as “academic pressure,” “mental health,” “excessive time” and “health-related issues.” These choices make the main ideas clear, and the writer attempts some less common language. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, including “elevate their mood,” “summer holidays plays vital role,” and “spend on other part of their life.” Repetition of “students,” “activities” and “parents” also limits flexibility. Aim for more natural combinations and precise wording—for example, describe students as “recovering from burnout” and parents as “covering the cost of organised activities.” This would improve fluency without requiring unnecessarily advanced vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a conditional-style explanation of the effects of routine and longer sentences that develop examples. Meaning is generally clear, and the paragraphing helps readers follow the argument. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly with subject–verb agreement, articles and plural forms. Examples include “Summer holidays plays” instead of “Summer holidays play,” “student recover” instead of “students recover,” and “the student health” instead of “students’ health.” The sentence “First they study for four to five hours at school then majority parents do send students” also needs clearer punctuation and sentence structure. Review agreement and possessives, and divide long sentences where needed; these changes would make the varied structures more consistently accurate.

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