Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-08

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)

In a number of nations, summer vacations in schools last for about 2 months or more. This essay will discuss the advantages of lengthy school holidays and why some people vouch for shorter summer breaks.

Lengthy school holidays have a lot of merits. It is the only time in the year where students can truly unwind and get a break from their monotonous school routine. They can spend more time with their families, go on a tour, read books other than their course books, or spend time in leisure activities. Some children get hands-on summer courses in pottery, cooking, baking etc. which are not generally taught in schools. Also, children are given summer tasks so they keep in touch with their studies as well.

There is another school of thought that negates the arguement for long school holidays and believes that they should not be as long. The main reason is that parents are still asked to pay hefty school-fees even though children remain at home. Children also lose the momentum of studying. Their routines get disturbed; most of the children prefer going to bed late at night and sleeping all day long. This routine is very hard to reverse when schools re-open. Some individuals who belong to disadvantaged backgrounds do not have much activities to do and get bored at home.

In conclusion, while long summer break provides a good time to rest and bond with families, it has demerits too in terms of loss of study momentum and disturbance of the biological clocks of the children.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses both parts of the question and presents a clear overall view: long holidays allow rest and family time, while shorter breaks may help maintain study routines and reduce difficulties for parents. Relevant examples include travel, leisure activities and practical courses such as pottery or cooking. However, the two sides are not developed equally in depth. The benefits are mostly listed, while the case for shorter holidays would be stronger with a clearer explanation of how shorter breaks could improve learning or support working families. The point about school fees is also asserted without explaining why fees continue during holidays. Develop fewer points with specific reasoning or an example to make the response more fully supported.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay has a clear, logical structure: an introduction, one paragraph for the benefits of long holidays, one for arguments against them, and a conclusion that summarises the contrast. The progression within each paragraph is easy to follow, and signposting such as “There is another school of thought” helps the reader recognise the shift in perspective. Lists of activities also make the first body paragraph coherent. To make cohesion more flexible, connect related points more explicitly rather than presenting several as a sequence—for example, explain how disrupted sleep affects returning to school. The conclusion repeats the main ideas effectively, though it could synthesise the two positions more precisely instead of mainly restating them.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

There is an adequate range of vocabulary, with some flexibility in phrases such as “monotonous school routine,” “hands-on summer courses,” “disadvantaged backgrounds” and “study momentum.” These choices help express the main ideas clearly. Some wording is less natural or precise, however: “get a break” is informal, “go on a tour” is not the most idiomatic way to describe holiday travel, and “some individuals who belong to disadvantaged backgrounds” is awkward. There is also a spelling error in “arguement.” Greater control of collocation and a more consistently academic register would strengthen the vocabulary. The meaning remains clear, but occasional word-choice and spelling slips limit precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

The response uses a useful mix of simple and complex structures, including relative clauses (“which are not generally taught in schools”), a contrast clause beginning “while,” and sentences with semicolons. Many sentences are accurate and easy to understand, showing good control overall. A few grammatical choices remain awkward: “the only time in the year where” would be more accurately expressed with “when,” and “Some children get hands-on summer courses” needs a different verb pattern, such as “take” or “attend.” The sentence about disadvantaged children also has an unclear construction around “who belong to disadvantaged backgrounds.” Continue using varied structures, while checking relative clauses and verb patterns for natural, accurate phrasing.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.