Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-12

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)

In many countries, schools close for two months or more during the summer holidays. While this extended break offers several benefits to students and teachers, shorter school holidays may provide an effective learning experience. This essay discussed both perspectives and have strong arguments.

One of the major advantage of long summer holidays is that students have enough amount of time to recover from academic pressure and release their stress. During the school day, children often have many things to do in short day. For instance, complete assignments, prepare for examinations and participate in different curricular and extra curricular activities. but a long holiday allows them to enjoy their holidays to spend quality time with their families and friends, also travel to several places to relax their mind and feel fresh. For example, Many students can attend sports camps or visit historical sites, which may improve their social and communication skills, gave them confidence and enhance their knowledge. It also help tutors to spend this time by relaxing and calm their selves.

On the other hand, shorter school holidays can help students maintain their academic progress. When children remain away from school for several months, they may forget important information, particularly in subjects such as mathematics and science. Consequently, teachers often need to spend additional time reviewing previously taught material when classes resume. Shorter breaks can reduce this learning loss and help students develop consistent study habits. In addition, a shorter summer vacation may benefit working parents who struggle to arrange childcare during extended school closures.

In conclusion, long school holidays provide students with opportunities to relax, explore new interests and spend time with their families. However, shorter holidays can support continuous learning and reduce difficulties for working parents. In my opinion, a balanced learning approach, with shorter but regular breaks throughout the school academic year found benefical..

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response addresses both questions and maintains a clear overall view: long holidays allow rest and family activities, while shorter breaks may protect learning and help working parents. Relevant examples, such as sports camps and reviewing mathematics and science, support the discussion. The conclusion also gives a preference for shorter, regular breaks. However, the value of long holidays is developed more fully than the case for shorter ones, which is presented mainly through learning loss and childcare. The final preference for a “balanced learning approach” is understandable but could be explained more precisely—for example, by stating how regular breaks would balance recovery with continuity. More specific development of the shorter-holiday arguments would make the response more complete and persuasive.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two perspectives, and a conclusion. The contrastive opening “On the other hand” and the concluding “However” help readers follow the argument, while examples are generally placed alongside the points they support. Some connections are less smooth, however. The first body paragraph moves from schoolwork to holidays and then to tutors without a clear transition, and the sentence beginning “For instance” is not integrated cleanly with the preceding sentence. The conclusion repeats the main points but does not fully connect them to the proposed balanced approach. Use clearer sentence boundaries and more precise referencing to strengthen progression without relying mainly on basic linking phrases.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses enough topic-related vocabulary to discuss education and holidays, including “academic pressure,” “learning loss,” “consistent study habits,” and “childcare.” These choices show an attempt to express ideas beyond very basic language. However, several noticeable word-choice and collocation problems reduce naturalness, such as “enough amount of time,” “release their stress,” “relax their mind,” and “spend this time by relaxing.” There are also word-form and spelling slips, including “benefical,” and inconsistent forms such as “extra curricular.” These do not prevent the reader from understanding the main points, but they limit precision and fluency. Build a more reliable range by learning common word partnerships and checking spelling and word forms during revision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The essay attempts both simple and complex structures, including a contrast clause (“While this extended break offers…”) and a conditional time clause (“When children remain away from school…”). Most ideas remain understandable, but some grammatical errors are noticeable. For example, “This essay discussed both perspectives and have strong arguments” has inconsistent tense and subject–verb agreement; “One of the major advantage” has a singular/plural agreement problem; and “It also help tutors” has an incorrect verb form. The sentence beginning “For instance, complete assignments…” is also a fragment, while the final sentence lacks a clear grammatical structure. Check agreement, verb forms, and sentence boundaries, and proofread punctuation and capitalisation. More accurate control of these forms would make the varied sentence attempts clearer.

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