Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-17

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)

Nowadays, in many countries of the world educational instituitons remained closed for more than 60 days in summer vacation. This essay will dicuss what is the benefit for closing schools for such a long period and will also present some suggestions to reduce holidays.

Firstly, the primary reason for such vacation is that the weather remains extremly hot during these months. Due to hot weather the learners cannot concentrate on their studies. Faculty members also face problems during these days. For example, in my country the temperature rise to 50 degree which causes heatstroke and skin issues. Consequently, it make the learning practices impossible in these months. Secondly, the students also need time to get rid of academic curriculum and relax their mind. They spend these holidays with their family members and friends. For instance, throughout the year they focus on their studies but in this period they experiance physical activities. As a result, it help to enhance their mind abilities through which they can pay good attention to their studies.Moreover, it also improve physical fitness of learners.

Although summer holidays have many benefits but there are several drawbacks of it. This is because long school holidays make students involve in unnecessary activities. They spend most of their time in playing video games and scrolling social media. For example, most of the childrens concentrate on mobile phones they became addicted and prefer it over studies. As a result, they get lower grades in their exams and also faces mental health issues. Another importing point is that, this long holidays make them involve in harmful activities. It divert their mind from studies and grades.

Many individuals believe if the holidays are reduced in school. It will benefit the society because illegal activities should be eliminate. It will also has a great impact on student grades in his academic.

In conclusion, school holidays play an important role in children fitness and relaxation but long vacations can cause incline in illegal activities and affect student mental health.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses both questions: it explains the value of long holidays through relief from extreme heat, rest, family time and physical activity, then gives reasons for shorter breaks, including reduced screen use and better academic focus. These points are relevant, and the examples about high temperatures and students using phones help illustrate them. However, the case for shorter holidays is less fully developed: the claim that reduced holidays would prevent “illegal activities” is unclear and not explained, and the essay does not clearly distinguish practical arguments for shorter breaks from general concerns about students’ behaviour. Develop each main point with a clearer explanation or a specific example, and make the position on the balance between long and short holidays more explicit.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay has a recognisable overall structure, with an introduction, separate paragraphs for the benefits and drawbacks of long holidays, and a conclusion. Sequencing words such as “Firstly,” “Secondly,” “Although,” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the main stages. However, some links are mechanical or unclear. The paragraph beginning “Many individuals believe if the holidays are reduced” is disconnected from the preceding discussion, and the relationship between shorter holidays and preventing illegal activity is not made clear. There is also repetition of “As a result” and “For example,” while references such as “it” in “It divert their mind” do not clearly identify what they refer to. Group related points more tightly and use precise links between claims and explanations.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate its main ideas, including “concentrate,” “academic curriculum,” “physical fitness,” “addicted,” and “mental health issues.” It also attempts more formal expressions such as “Consequently” and “Moreover.” However, noticeable spelling and word-choice errors sometimes make the meaning less natural or less precise: “instituitons,” “extremly,” and “experiance” are misspelled, while “get rid of academic curriculum” and “incline in illegal activities” are awkward collocations. Some wording is repetitive, particularly references to studies, grades, and holidays. Build accuracy by checking spelling and learning common word partnerships, and choose precise expressions rather than translating ideas literally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

There is an attempt to use both simple and complex sentence forms, including cause-and-effect clauses with “Due to” and “As a result,” and a contrast introduced by “Although.” The main message is generally understandable, but some errors in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence construction remain. For example, “the temperature rise” should use a past or present-tense verb that agrees with its subject, and “it make” and “it help” need singular verb agreement. In “Although summer holidays have many benefits but…,” the conjunctions are incorrectly combined; use “Although” without “but,” or use “but” without “Although.” Practise checking subject–verb agreement and constructing complete, correctly linked clauses.

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