Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-07

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)

In a lot of countries, summer vacation can last for two months or even more for primary and secondary schools. Although longer holidays during the summer season can help students register for different sports courses, shorter vacation can benefit them without disrupting their routine.

Over the holidays, students can engage in different lessons for recreational activites, which usually last for around two months. These can only benefit students with longer summer vacations as their length is designed accordingly. A case in point is that students often join classes for activities like swimming and other sports. Lesser holidays might limit a student from signing up for these activities. Additionally, vacation for two or more months provide a reset from their hectic school routine that can prove quite advantageous because students can relax for longer period of time.

Although longer vacations can help students in a lot of different ways, shorter school holidays prove beneficial as routine of students often don't get disrupted. Students have a habit of waking up early during school days, that continues over the holidays. If students get long period of break, for instance, their routine gets disturbed and they might start sleeping late day by day. They also tend to develop other harmful habits over 2 months for example skipping breakfast. Indirectly, this all happens due to longer period of relaxation.

To sum it up, longer vacations can give the opportunity of enrolling in different courses for activities to students whereas shorter holidays prove beneficials in maintaining their school routine over the vacation.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both questions and maintain a clear comparison: longer holidays allow students to take recreational courses and rest, while shorter breaks may help preserve routines. The examples of swimming lessons, late sleeping and skipping breakfast make the discussion relevant. However, the two benefits of long holidays are not developed equally: the point about courses is illustrated, whereas the claim that a longer break provides a “reset” is only briefly explained. The case for shorter holidays also relies mainly on routine and could be extended with another consequence, such as continuity in learning or reduced pressure on families. Develop each main idea with a fuller explanation or a specific example to make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: an introduction, a paragraph on the value of long holidays, a paragraph supporting shorter breaks, and a conclusion. The contrast signalled by “Although” and “To sum it up” helps readers follow the discussion, and ideas generally progress in a sensible order. This meets the lower-band expectation for clear organisation and shows some features of stronger progression. However, linking is occasionally mechanical, particularly the repeated use of “longer holidays” and “students,” and the reference in “this all happens” is not fully precise. Use a wider range of natural transitions and clearer referencing, and connect each example explicitly to the point it supports.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range for the topic, including “recreational activities,” “hectic school routine,” “disrupted,” and “advantageous.” These choices communicate the main ideas, and attempts at more specific vocabulary are evident. Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, however: “register for different sports courses” is less idiomatic than “enrol in sports courses,” while “Lesser holidays” and “beneficials” are incorrect forms. “Vacation” is also repeated frequently, and “different” is used broadly rather than precisely. Aim for more natural collocations and vary key terms, for example by using “break,” “holiday period,” or “school closure” where appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a concessive opening (“Although longer holidays…”) and conditional structures (“If students get long period of break…”). Most sentences remain understandable, and errors rarely prevent the reader from following your argument. Some grammatical inaccuracies persist, including subject–verb agreement in “vacation for two or more months provide,” missing articles in “for longer period” and “long period of break,” and the relative-clause construction in “a habit …, that continues.” There is also an awkward sentence boundary in “Students have a habit …, that continues over the holidays.” Review agreement, articles, and clause punctuation, while continuing to practise complex sentences with accurate structure.

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