Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
Introduction:in many countries school can close two month during the summer holiday.Long holiday student can relax and spend time with families. However,short holiday can help student to maintain their learing and reduce the pressure on working parents. Body paragraph 1: on the one hand, in many countries school can close for two month during summar holiday.I believe, this is good for student because the learner develop new skill, hobbies .Also positive inpact for learner because travel various places and spend for her parents and explore new thing. For instance,student in pakistan can visit relative and various places and explore new thing during for summer holiday. the can feel refreshed before to r can maintain thrir returning to school.they can reduce stress and feel refreshed. Body paragraph 2: on the other hand, student can provide short holiday because there help people maintain their learning and reduce the pressure on working parents. they also maintain balance study and relaxation because the student remaind the holiday was short to study continuous to every day like learn small paragraph but should learn every day.Student can revise lesson regularly.They are less likely to forget what they learned.Working parents do not need childcare for such a long time.Student can maintain their study habit.Student can also memory,learning and maintain they routine. Conclusion:long holiday are valuable because they allow student to relax and enjoy family life.However,short holiday improved learning and help parents manage their responsibilities.Therefore,school should maintain balance between study and relaxation.This can help them feel refreahed before returing to school.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You address both questions: the first body paragraph gives reasons for long holidays, such as developing hobbies, travelling and spending time with family, while the second discusses continued learning and the childcare pressures on working parents. Your conclusion also recognises value in both arrangements and recommends balance. However, the ideas remain limited and are often asserted rather than explained. For example, the point that students can “maintain their learning” during shorter holidays is unclear, and the Pakistan example repeats the travel-and-family idea without showing its impact. Your position is broadly apparent, but the response would be stronger if each main reason were explained with a specific consequence or example and the comparison between the two holiday patterns were clearer.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a recognisable introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion, and “on the one hand” and “on the other hand” signal the two sides of the discussion. This gives the reader a basic overall structure. However, progression within paragraphs is uneven: the first paragraph repeats that students can explore new things and feel refreshed, while the second moves between learning, daily study, childcare and routine without clearly connecting these points. Some linking is mechanical, and references such as “they” and “there” are not always clear. Organise each paragraph around one main claim, then explain it and give an example. Clearer sentence boundaries and more precise links between ideas would make the argument easier to follow.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use a basic range of relevant vocabulary, including “hobbies,” “refreshed,” “childcare,” “revise” and “responsibilities,” so the main topic is generally understandable. However, vocabulary is repetitive, particularly “student,” “maintain” and “learning,” and several word choices or combinations are inaccurate or unclear. For example, “maintain their study habit” and “maintain they routine” do not express the ideas naturally, while “explore new thing” is repeated. Spelling errors such as “learing,” “inpact” and “refreahed” also make the writing less clear. Build a wider set of accurate phrases for discussing learning, family time and holiday arrangements, and check spelling and word forms when editing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt some longer sentences and use basic structures to express reasons and contrast, including “because” and “However.” Nevertheless, the range is limited, and errors in sentence construction and basic grammar occur frequently enough to make parts difficult to understand. Examples include “school can close two month,” “the learner develop new skill,” and “short holiday improved learning,” where number agreement or verb forms are not controlled. Some sentences are incomplete or run together, especially the passage beginning “they also maintain balance study and relaxation.” Punctuation and spacing around sentence openings are also inconsistent. Practise accurate simple sentences first, then combine related ideas using one controlled subordinate clause at a time.
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