Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-11

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 5.0)

Plenty of countries, primary and secondary schools close for two months or more in the summer holidays. Although both approaches have their merits, this essay will examine the real reasons of this arguments.

On the one hand, it is evident that in summers time plenty of schools has been closed around the world for holidays. There are several reasons why school holdiays are too long for students. Firstly, holidays allow students for their personal activities such as physcial activities, traveling and personal development. For instance, in the holidays period students often spend their time in persnoal development, they learn various activities by observing their parents, and try to build their skills in various fields usually ion sports where they feel their selves relax, which is generally important for students. Moreover, school principals always provide academic homework for them, so students can balance both study and skills for overall development.

On the other hand, majority of people favoured that long period holidays can have a detrimental effect on students, it can became dangerous for some students who are good enough in studies. For example, long period can make inactive and slay some students, because not every student wants free time for a long period. This circumstance can negitively effect number of students. In addition, if students focus only on other activites, it is possible that they can forget school curriculum significantly.

In conclusion, Although this argument has both postivie and negative approaches for students, parents and teachers should encourage them for both study and developing skills. Initially a balanced lifestyle.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You address both questions: the first body paragraph gives reasons for long holidays, including personal activities and development, while the second presents concerns about students becoming inactive or forgetting the curriculum. However, the arguments are brief and some explanations are unclear; for example, the claim that homework lets students balance study and skills is not developed with a specific example. The introduction promises to examine the reasons for the arguments rather than clearly framing the two sides, and the conclusion does not directly summarise the value of long holidays or the case for shorter ones. The response is also six words below the required minimum, which limits the space available to develop the ideas. Add clearer explanations and relevant examples for each side.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, two body paragraphs signalled by “On the one hand” and “On the other hand,” and a conclusion. This helps readers identify the two sides of the discussion. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes difficult to follow: the first paragraph moves from personal activities to observing parents, sports, and homework without clearly showing how each point supports the value of long holidays. Some linking is mechanical, and the final sentence, “Initially a balanced lifestyle,” is disconnected from the preceding conclusion. Use a clearer sequence of claim, explanation, and example in each paragraph, and make the conclusion a complete, connected summary.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “personal development,” “detrimental effect,” “school curriculum,” and “balanced lifestyle.” These choices show an attempt to discuss education and student wellbeing. However, the range is limited and several inaccurate or misspelled expressions make parts of the message harder to understand, such as “slay some students,” “negitively effect,” and “in summers time.” Some phrases are also imprecise or repetitive, including repeated references to “personal” activities and development. Aim for accurate collocations and check spelling carefully; more precise wording would help distinguish the benefits of long breaks from the reasons for shortening them.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including a concession in the opening (“Although both approaches have their merits”) and a conditional structure (“if students focus only on other activites…”). However, the range is limited, and errors occur frequently in sentence structure, agreement, and verb forms. For example, “schools has been closed” has incorrect subject–verb agreement, while “it can became dangerous” uses the wrong verb form. The opening sentence is also incomplete as written, and the conclusion ends with the fragment “Initially a balanced lifestyle.” These errors sometimes make relationships between ideas unclear. Practise building complete sentences and checking agreement and verb forms, especially when combining clauses.

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