Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-09

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 5.5)

In India from many years schools generally provide two holidays summer and winter. Compare to winter holidays summer vacations are bigger. From my view, I think schools should provide shorter holidays.

To start with, primary and secondary schools should provide a limited holidays to students because holidays are given so that students can have a break from semester so these holidays should be for like a month. Apart from providing long holidays schools should provide two short vacations. The reason behind providing two short vacations is that students will be able to have appropriate break after exams even this is widely popular in foreign countries too. For instence, in counties like USA and Canada schools students have given three vacations which are in fall, spring and autum and these vacation are also consider as semester breaks. During these holidays students are able to recharge them selves.

Secondly, if schools decleares long holidays then during this holidays they should arrange camps where students might learn different things, even schools can provide personal coaching to students who are not good at studies. Also, schools can even start early batches.

On the other hand, students should have long holidays where they can establish new skill apart from their curiculam. Also, students might travel to different places and explore new things. Well all of these cannot be done in short holidays.

To put in a nutshell, schools should provide 3 vacations rather than one long vacation so that students might get appropriate breaks from semester. However, in short holidays students might not be able to have a long trips.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You give a clear preference for shorter, more frequent holidays, and you also recognise benefits of long breaks, such as travelling and developing skills beyond the curriculum. This addresses both questions, but the discussion is uneven: the case for shorter holidays includes semester breaks and support for students, while the value of long holidays is mostly listed rather than explained. The point about schools arranging camps or coaching during long holidays is relevant, but it does not clearly explain why shorter holidays are preferable. The conclusion repeats your preference without resolving this tension. Develop each side with a specific explanation or example, and make the relationship between your position and the supporting points clearer.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, body paragraphs presenting different views, and a conclusion. Sequencing phrases such as “To start with,” “Secondly,” and “On the other hand” help signal movement between ideas. However, progression is not always clear: the paragraph beginning “Secondly” discusses what schools could do during long holidays, then the next paragraph shifts to reasons students benefit from long holidays, without clearly connecting these points to the argument for shorter breaks. Some linking is mechanical, and references such as “these holidays” can be unclear. Organise the body around the two questions, and use transitions that show whether each point supports or challenges your position.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some topic-related vocabulary, including “semester,” “vacations,” “coaching,” and “curriculum,” and phrases such as “recharge themselves” communicate the intended meaning. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or repetitive, which sometimes makes the reader pause. Examples include “limited holidays,” “establish new skill,” and “long trips”; more natural choices would be “a limited number of holidays,” “develop new skills,” and “long trips” or “extended journeys,” depending on meaning. Spelling errors such as “instence,” “decleares,” and “curiculam” are also noticeable. Build a bank of accurate education and holiday-related expressions, and check spelling and word forms carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentences, including clauses with “because,” “so that,” and “where,” but complex structures are often not controlled accurately. For example, “schools should provide a limited holidays” has an article and number problem, while “schools students have given three vacations” is missing an appropriate passive verb form. In “if schools decleares long holidays then during this holidays,” the conditional clause has agreement and reference problems. Sentence boundaries and punctuation also need attention, particularly in the long opening body sentence. Practise accurate articles, plural forms, subject–verb agreement, and passive constructions, then proofread each sentence to ensure its clauses connect clearly.

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