Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-18

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)

Well I partly agree with that case.I do think that school holidays are important.But I think the rule of giving holidays consecutively for two or more months isn't necessary. Because chlldren do need holidays after a long term of study and exams. But that doesn't automatically justify the fact of giving holidays for months. i mean as long as it is concerned with primary schools it's alright. Alternately when the topic is secondary schools i think they shouldn't be given holidays that long. Cause long school holidays can affect some students in many ways. For instance some students only study when they are in schools under invigilation of a teacher. This kind of student can be greatly affected from long holidays cause' they will loose grip on their syllabus. And then there are students who can study anywhere . i mean school isn't necessary for them to study. They can simply study at home. Long school holidays are benefacial for kids in primary schools. Because they don't have responsibility to cover a huge syllabus. They can regain their strength in the period of holidays.But for secondary students especially for matric students summer holidays must be limited. The reason for this is that they have to appear in boards exam and their college carrier pretty much depend on those exams.So, shorter school holidays would be more benefacial for them. They will get some liesure time from daily hectic school routine. This will relax their mind for some time which is a good thing. Long school holidays can make students lazy and they will find it difficult to study again after a long period of rest. So keeping all things in consideration my opinion on both statements is that Long school holidays should be for primary schools or maybe upto grade 7. But for classes 8-10 school holidays must be of a short period.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both questions and maintain a clear view: long breaks can benefit younger pupils, while older students should have shorter holidays. Relevant reasons include recovery after study, the need for teacher supervision for some learners, and preparation for board examinations. These points show a relevant response, but they are not developed evenly. The value of long holidays is explained mainly through rest and primary-school pupils, while the case for shorter breaks would be stronger with a specific example of how shorter, more frequent terms support learning or exam preparation. The distinction between primary and secondary students is useful, though the claim that holidays are acceptable for primary pupils could be explained more fully. Develop each main reason with a concrete example or consequence.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has an overall line of argument, moving from the value of holidays to differences between age groups and then to a recommendation. However, it is presented as one continuous paragraph, so the reader has little visual guidance through the separate parts of the discussion. Connections also rely heavily on repeated forms such as “But,” “Because,” and “And then,” and some transitions are abrupt—for example, the shift from students who need supervision to those who can study at home. Use distinct paragraphs for the benefits of long holidays, arguments for shorter breaks, and your conclusion. Vary linking expressions and make the relationship between each example and your main point explicit to create clearer progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “syllabus,” “invigilation,” “boards exam,” and “hectic school routine.” There are also attempts at more specific phrasing, such as “regain their strength.” However, several word choices and spelling errors reduce precision and naturalness: “benefacial” is repeated, “loose grip” is used where “lose” is intended, and “college carrier” does not express the intended idea clearly. Informal expressions such as “Cause” and “i mean” also make the response less suitable for an academic essay. Build accuracy by checking spelling and collocations, and choose more formal alternatives where appropriate. This would make your adequate range more precise and consistent.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including explanations with “Because” and conditional reasoning such as “as long as it is concerned with primary schools.” Most of the argument remains understandable, but some grammatical and punctuation errors make the writing less controlled. For example, “I partly agree with that case.I do think” needs a space and clearer sentence separation, while “students … will loose grip on their syllabus” has an incomplete article pattern (“lose their grip”). The sentence beginning “Because chlldren do need holidays” is a fragment, and several sentences begin with conjunctions without being clearly connected to the preceding idea. Practise complete sentence construction, articles, and punctuation, then proofread for consistent capitalisation and sentence boundaries.

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