Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-19

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)

In numerous nations, primary and secondary schools give two or more months summer vacation. This essay will discuss some benefits of school holiday on children co-curricular activities and effects on learning process.

One of the primary benefits of long vacation is students get enough time to follow their hobbies. This will helps them to learn new skills and enhance their personalities. As a result children make useful use of time and promote independent learning experiences. Furthermore, children can spend quality time with their family and friends, which allows them to socialize and remain connected with their culture and traditions. For example, some children prefer to visit their grandparents during holidays, so that they spend sometime in their hometown learning about their tradition such as cultural foods, traditional clothing and their life standards. Additionally, learning from past generation experiences helps them in taking future decisions.

However, longer holidays can affect students academic learning. By providing breaks during studies create hinderance in their learning experiences. As a result, children often feel disconnected from their studies and take significant time to get back on same pace. Moreover, students prefers to play all day during holidays resulting in not following proper schedules, which can affect the discipline that schools have taught children.

In conclusion, long holidays can help children to remain connected with their family and traditions, whereas shorter vacations can help them to remain focused on their academics. In my opinion, vacations are very crucial to shape children personalities and to keep their cultural values alive, while administration departments should prefer giving at least one month vacations, so that children studies do not get compromised.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both questions and give a clear overall view: long holidays support hobbies and family connections, while shorter breaks may help maintain academic progress. The examples about visiting grandparents and learning cultural traditions make the first benefit more concrete. However, the second question asks for arguments in favour of shorter holidays, and this side is less fully developed: you mainly describe possible problems caused by long breaks, rather than explaining specific advantages of shorter ones, such as more consistent learning or reduced pressure on parents. The point about children playing all day is also broad and would benefit from explanation or an example. Develop both sides with more balanced, specific support to make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure, moving from an introduction to benefits, drawbacks, and a conclusion. Paragraphing helps distinguish the two main sides, and linking expressions such as “Furthermore,” “Moreover,” and “In conclusion” make the progression easy to follow. Some connections are less precise or mechanical, however. For example, “As a result” does not clearly show how the preceding point about hobbies leads to independent learning, and “However” introduces a shift to academic effects without directly framing these as arguments for shorter holidays. The conclusion also combines several ideas in a long sentence. Use more exact links between claims and explanations, and make the contrast between long and short holidays explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of vocabulary, including “independent learning experiences,” “socialize,” “cultural values,” and “academic learning,” which helps communicate the main ideas. There are also attempts at more specific phrasing, such as “remain connected with their culture and traditions.” However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, including “useful use of time,” “hinderance in their learning experiences,” and “same pace.” Some expressions are vague, such as “effects on learning process,” and “life standards” does not clearly convey the intended meaning. These choices do not prevent understanding, but they limit precision. Focus on natural collocations and check spelling, including “hindrance,” while choosing vocabulary that states each point directly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including clauses with “which” and “so that,” and most ideas remain understandable. Some grammatical errors recur, particularly with verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence construction. For example, “This will helps them” should use the base verb after “will,” while “students prefers” has a subject–verb agreement error. The opening phrase “two or more months summer vacation” is missing grammatical links, and “By providing breaks during studies create…” has an unclear, faulty structure. There are also missing possessive forms in “students academic learning” and “children studies.” Review these patterns and proofread each sentence for a clear subject and correctly formed verb; greater accuracy would make your complex ideas easier to follow.

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