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)

Students in primary and secondary schools enjoy extended hoildays, which in many countries could be for two months or more. The primary adavantge for this extended period is that to allow students to rest and pursue their interest. However, some people support the idea of shorter holidays because they believe this will support their learning.

Extended hoildays in primary and secondary eductional institutes will allow learners to pursue their hobbies and rest. After long eductional courses that required students to keep appearing in classrooms, preparing homework, and study hard for exames, learners may become exhausted. Therefore, two months holidaus or more may allow them to rest at home or participate in differents recreational activities. thereaby, mitigating the stress that frequently students suffer from and preparing them mentaly for new courses. For example, students can participate in footbale teams or learning guitar during two months period will reduce the pressure associated with final exames preparations.

By contrast, some argue that shorter holidays are more suitable for shools students because long gap may negatively affect learing outcome. When students spend extended days out of shools environment, they may become mentally distracted and loss concentration on subsequent courses. As a result, they may not gain the full benefits from classes and they will struggle to memorise the previous knowledge and information. For instance, if students leave their schools for extneded period, they will face difficulty in mathematices and biology classes, because these subjects depend significantly on memory, reducing their ability to understand more advance thems in subsequent years. Therefore, shorter holidays preferable because it not create such adverse gap in educational institute.

In conclusion, although extended schools holidays may allow students to pursue their interest and reduce stress, shorter holidays will not create educational gap and maintain the overall educational standard.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response addresses both questions and presents a clear contrast: long holidays allow students to rest and pursue hobbies, while shorter breaks may help maintain learning. The examples of joining football teams or learning guitar support the first point, and the discussion of mathematics and biology illustrates the possible effect of a long gap. This meets the core requirements, but the ideas are not equally developed. The value of rest and recreation is explained more fully than the broader educational or personal benefits of long holidays, while the case for shorter holidays relies mainly on loss of concentration and memory. To strengthen the response, explain these consequences more precisely and develop each side with a further reason or a more specific example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay has a clear overall progression: an introduction identifies both positions, the body paragraphs discuss each in turn, and the conclusion summarises the contrast. Paragraphing is appropriate, and signposts such as “However,” “By contrast,” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the argument. The ideas within each paragraph generally move from a claim to an explanation and example. Some links are less smooth, however: “thereaby” begins a sentence fragment, and the final sentence of the second body paragraph is difficult to follow because several ideas are compressed together. Improve cohesion by making the relationship between cause and result explicit and ensuring each sentence connects grammatically to the next.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “extended holidays,” “recreational activities,” “learning outcome,” and “educational standard.” There is also some attempt to vary expression rather than repeat the task wording. However, spelling errors and inaccurate word forms are noticeable, including “hoildays,” “adavantage,” “eductional,” and “exames.” Several combinations are also unnatural or imprecise, such as “keep appearing in classrooms,” “loss concentration,” and “advance thems.” These choices sometimes make the reader pause, even though the intended meaning is usually recoverable. Focus on accurate spelling and natural collocations, and check that the chosen word form fits its grammatical role.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The essay attempts a mix of simple and complex structures, including a conditional example beginning “if students leave their schools” and clauses explaining causes and results. The main argument remains understandable, but some grammatical errors affect clarity. For example, “The primary advantage … is that to allow students” has an incomplete construction; “students … may become mentally distracted and loss concentration” has faulty parallel structure; and “shorter holidays preferable because it not create” is missing necessary verb forms. The sentence beginning “thereaby” is also a fragment. Work on complete clause structure, verb forms, and agreement, especially when joining several ideas in one sentence. More accurate control of these patterns would make the complex sentences easier to follow.

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