Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

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

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)

Summer holidays for primary and secondary schools in many countries run for eight weeks or more.

The value of long holidays cannot be neglected. It gives students the time to recuperate from school works. Rest helps to heal the brain of stress and activate its ability to function better.

Another importance is that it gives the students time and opportunity to engage in extracurricular activities such as skill development in arts and crafts, hair making, sewing and bead making.

Another importance of long holidays is that it enables families to bond better. For example, going on a family trip or picnic gives children and young adults the sense of belonging, make them feel loved amd connected to their families whom might have been busy while school was in session.

However, there are good sides of short school holidays too.

A saying goes "Out of sight, out of mind." There is a possiblility of students not forgetting what they have learnt in school because they were kept away only for a short period. This will prevent additional pressure on the teachers to make them go over what they have learnt in a case where they forgot. Also, when holiday periods are short, it means there is long school period which means more time to cover the school curriculum allocated without pressure on the learners. For example, the pressure needed to read and accurately summarize a page under twenty minutes is not the same when it has to be done under twenty seconds, shorter time causes higher pressure.

Additionally, parents are a bit relieved of childcare when school is in session because tge teachers handles it when they are in school. For example, a working class mother with three children will have to worry less when it is school session than when they are on a holiday because during the day, she is sure that the teachers in school will handle her kids than having to worry about them when they are on a holiday.

In conclusion, both long and short holidays have their negative and positive impact, it boils down to picking what suits the family.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both questions and maintain a relevant focus: the benefits of longer breaks include rest, extracurricular learning and family bonding, while the case for shorter breaks includes retaining learning, covering the curriculum and easing childcare. The examples about family trips and a working mother help make the points concrete. However, some ideas are more fully explained than others. The discussion of rest is brief, and the comparison about summarising a page in twenty minutes versus twenty seconds does not clearly show how shorter holidays reduce pressure. The conclusion says the choice depends on what suits a family, but does not clearly state which arrangement you consider more valuable or how the benefits should be balanced. Develop the less clear points and make your final position more definite.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, separate discussion of long and short holidays, and a conclusion. Paragraphs generally group related ideas, and signposts such as “However,” “For example” and “Additionally” help readers follow the shift between arguments. This already gives the essay a coherent progression. Some linking is repetitive, particularly the repeated opening “Another importance,” and the long paragraph about shorter holidays combines several claims that would be easier to follow if separated or more clearly connected. The final sentence also introduces a family-based criterion without linking it back to the earlier arguments. Use a wider range of transitions and clearer referencing, and ensure each paragraph develops one main point in a logical sequence.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “recuperate,” “extracurricular activities,” “curriculum” and “childcare.” There are also attempts at more specific expressions, such as “sense of belonging.” However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, which limits precision: “school works,” “heal the brain of stress,” “good sides,” and “when school is in session” could be expressed more naturally. Spelling slips such as “possiblility” and “amd” also reduce accuracy. Aim to learn common word partnerships and check spelling carefully; for example, use “schoolwork,” “recover from stress,” and “advantages” in these contexts. This would make your vocabulary more fluent and appropriate to an academic essay.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including clauses introduced by “because,” “when” and “whom,” and most of the meaning remains understandable. Some grammatical errors occur, particularly with agreement and sentence construction. In “going on a family trip or picnic gives children …, make them feel loved,” the second verb does not agree with the singular subject; “whom might have been busy” also uses an unsuitable relative pronoun and has unclear reference. In “the teachers handles it,” the subject and verb do not agree, while “when they are on a holiday” shifts the reference of “they.” The sentence beginning “Also, when holiday periods are short” becomes difficult to control as several clauses are joined. Review agreement and relative clauses, and divide long sentences where needed to improve accuracy.

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