Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-13

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)

In many countries, primary and secondary schools close for two months or more in the summer holidays. This is benefical for students health. Students also learn many new things in this summer holidays. Many people also argue long school holidays are effect the student learning.

On the one hand, long school holidays are good for students both physically and mentally. They are also go on tour with families that make the studends mind fresh. Students have stress due to long period of study. They needs some freshness, that's why i think this is good for students health. Students are also play many games on holidays that make students healthy and fit. For Example, when i was a student in summer holidays I went to our grand parents home with family. They were living on other city that's why i spend my all holidays at their home. When i came back i fell freshness and happy.

On the other hand, the longer school holidays have a bad effect on students learning. I think shorter school holidays are best for students because students spend all the holidays in games and outing. They have not any concentrate on study. For Example, in longer school holidays if students spend all time on enjoying, when they come back again in school after holidays then thay have not remember any lesson.

In conclusion, school holidays are important for students but students must need to focus on their study because this are not effect the students learning.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address both questions: the first body paragraph explains benefits such as rest, family trips and physical activity, while the second gives a reason for shorter holidays, namely that students may forget lessons. Your personal example about visiting your grandparents is relevant, but the ideas are brief and some claims are not fully explained. The final sentence is also unclear about whether students should study during holidays or whether holidays harm learning, so your position is not consistently clear. The response contains 233 words, which is 17 words below the required minimum; 17 words copied from the task prompt were not counted. Develop each argument with a clearer explanation or example, and state your overall view directly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, two contrasting body paragraphs signposted by “On the one hand” and “On the other hand,” and a conclusion. This helps the reader follow the main contrast between long and shorter holidays. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes repetitive: the first body paragraph returns several times to students’ health and freshness, while the second repeats the idea that students spend holidays enjoying themselves. Some links are also unclear, particularly the final sentence, and “For Example” introduces examples without always connecting them smoothly to the point. Group related reasons together, use clearer references, and make the conclusion restate your position consistently.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough basic vocabulary to communicate the main topic, including “physically and mentally,” “stress,” “healthy and fit,” and “learning.” There are also attempts to express relevant ideas such as students’ minds becoming “fresh.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, which sometimes makes meaning difficult to follow: “students mind fresh,” “have not any concentrate on study,” and “fell freshness” are examples. Spelling errors such as “benefical,” “studends,” and “thay” also reduce accuracy. Build a wider set of natural phrases for rest, concentration and retaining knowledge, and check spelling and word forms when editing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt both simple sentences and longer structures, including “When I came back…” and a conditional example beginning “if students spend all time…”. However, the range is limited, and errors are frequent enough to make some sentences difficult to understand. Examples include “They are also go on tour,” “They needs,” and “Students are also play,” where verb forms or agreement are incorrect. There are also problems with articles, plurals and sentence construction, as in “at their home” and “they have not remember any lesson.” Capitalisation and punctuation are inconsistent, including the lowercase “i” and “For Example.” Practise accurate present and past verb forms, then proofread each sentence for a clear subject and verb.

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

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