Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-15

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)

Primary and secondary schools are closed for a pair of months or even more as a vacation in numerous countries over the world. There exists several crucial arguments in favour of long school holidays and vice versa.

There are some advantages of longer school vacation. First of all, students become able to get time for extra-curricular activities which enable them to deal with real world scenerios. Long school holidays not only provide them to become familiar with real world activities but also allow them to refresh themselves from the monotonous school life. For instance, in these holidays the youth can involve themselves in diffent kinds of part-time job which prepare them to be mature. As a result they can gain diffentent work experiences which may be beneficial for their future career. On top of that, the students can learn any interpersonal skills such as singing, dancing and drowing in these vacations. Finally they get enough time to spend quality time with their beloved families that plays a vital role to be emotionally connected with their family members.

On the other hand, some people believed that shorter school holidays are more important to develop a properly educated generation. Vacation for a few days is enough to provide the students to be relaxed and a great opportunity to recharege themselves for the next steps of their education systems. A long holidays may destruct the focus of the students. Furthermore, after a long vacation when a student return in the classroom, he can not provide concentration properly on his studies.

In conclusion, there are both pros and cons of each type of holidays either it is long or short time of period. Therefore, the schools should strike a balance regarding to the period of holidays in the summer holidays.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses both questions: it explains benefits of longer holidays, including time for part-time work, personal skills and family, and gives reasons for shorter breaks, such as maintaining focus and returning refreshed. These are relevant points, but several are asserted rather than fully explained. For example, the claim that short holidays help create a “properly educated generation” is not clearly connected to shorter breaks, and the point about losing concentration after a long vacation would be stronger with a specific explanation or example. The conclusion recommends a balance, but the position is broad and does not clarify which arguments are most persuasive. Develop each main idea with a clearer cause-and-effect explanation and make the final judgement more definite.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two sides, and a conclusion. Signposting such as “First of all,” “On top of that,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” helps readers follow the progression. This coherent structure is a strength, and the ideas generally appear in a sensible order. However, some linking is mechanical, and the first body paragraph contains several benefits in sequence without grouping or prioritising them. The reference in “that plays a vital role” is also not fully clear because it follows a phrase about spending time with family. To strengthen cohesion, use transitions that show the relationship between ideas and make references explicit, while organising each paragraph around a central point.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses a range of topic-related vocabulary, including “extra-curricular activities,” “part-time job,” “interpersonal skills,” and “concentration.” These choices allow the writer to discuss both sides of the issue, but control of word choice and collocation is uneven. Phrases such as “provide them to become familiar,” “a pair of months,” and “destruct the focus” are unnatural or imprecise, and spelling errors such as “scenerios,” “diffent,” and “drowing” are noticeable. Some repetition of “holidays” and “students” also limits flexibility. Aim to learn common word partnerships for education and holidays, check spelling carefully, and choose precise verbs so that the intended meaning is immediately clear.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The essay attempts a mixture of simple and complex sentences, including the structure “not only … but also” and a conditional-style explanation of what students may gain from work experience. However, errors occur often enough to make some sentences awkward or difficult to process. For example, “There exists several crucial arguments” has subject–verb disagreement, while “when a student return” and “he can not provide concentration” contain problems with verb form and sentence construction. There are also issues with articles, plurals and prepositions, as in “A long holidays” and “regarding to the period.” Practise checking agreement and sentence patterns, especially in longer clauses, and revise each sentence for a clear subject and correctly formed verb.

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