Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-21

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 this contempory world, extended summer holidays for two or more months has become a contentious issue nowadays. This issue led to numerous aid such as prolonged period can give pupils an appropriate time to relax and can have limited time to pursue their extra curricular activities. While extended duration holidays might be a contendable issue for minor aspects. This essay will propound some aspects related to the same in upcoming paragraphs which i will lead to a conclusion.

This view has adequate evidence which can be substainable. To commence with, extended holidays might have profound impacts on children well being. This means that, after a hectic exam timeline they can relax and spend their majority of time with their belongings. In other words, a decent duration of time will allow students to continue their extra co-curricular activities which they paused due to their studies. For instance, children can utilise this duration to commence their higher grade preparation in advance. As a result, it allows them to be much more attentive and enhance their information rapidly. Therefore, the weight of long school holidays has a profound impact on child's mental health as well as enjoyment.

What is half full for some may appear half empty to others. So people tend to distinguish that longer duration holidays might appear as a repercussion on students. In other words, parents contend about the learning loss which might affect on child to delay their completion of a grade. For instance, research delineates that expanding summer vacations might not only affects child's academic personality, but can lead to fiscal burden faced by parents to manage their expenses. Teachers should take initial days to recall about things students learnt in their previous grade which would result into grasping higher information in a concise and organise manner.

Succinctly, althought long duration of vacations allows students to take appropriate rest to recharge their batteries and account for co-curricular activities are undoubtledly essential things. While shorter school holidays assist students to be in their regular momentum which helps them to gain higher studies much efficiently. We can mitigate the adverse effects of this by taking proactive steps towards issue for better future.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both questions: the first body paragraph explains the value of rest and extracurricular activities, while the second presents concerns about learning loss and family costs and mentions a possible response from teachers. However, the discussion is uneven and some points are unclear or insufficiently supported. For example, preparing for the next grade is offered as a benefit of a long break, but the link to relaxation and wellbeing is not explained. The case for shorter holidays is also less fully developed: the effect on learning is asserted, while the teacher-revision suggestion is not clearly connected to shorter breaks. Your position is difficult to identify because the introduction and conclusion use vague or conflicting phrasing. State your view directly and develop each argument with a clear explanation or relevant example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure, with an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two sides, and a conclusion. This helps readers follow the broad direction of the discussion. Some linking is effective, such as “For instance” and “As a result,” but transitions can feel mechanical or do not show the relationship between ideas clearly. The opening of the second body paragraph, “What is half full for some may appear half empty to others,” is a general saying rather than a clear bridge to the argument about shorter holidays. References such as “this issue” and “the same” are also vague. Improve progression by using topic sentences that state each paragraph’s main argument, then connect supporting explanations explicitly and make references precise.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You attempt a range of formal and topic-related vocabulary, including “contentious issue,” “learning loss,” “fiscal burden,” and “co-curricular activities.” These choices show an effort to discuss education in an academic register. However, several inaccurate or unnatural expressions make the meaning less clear, including “numerous aid,” “belongings” where you appear to mean free time or interests, and “academic personality.” Some words are also used in unsuitable forms or combinations, such as “contendable issue” and “profound impacts” in this context. Spelling errors such as “contempory,” “substainable,” and “undoubtledly” further reduce control. Aim for precise, natural collocations rather than choosing formal-sounding words; checking spelling and word forms will make your ideas easier to understand.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including clauses introduced by “which,” “while,” and “that.” However, control is inconsistent, and errors in sentence structure, agreement, articles, and verb forms sometimes make the intended meaning difficult to follow. For example, “extended summer holidays … has become” has a subject–verb agreement problem, while “might not only affects” uses an incorrect verb form. In “This means that, after a hectic exam timeline they can relax,” punctuation and clause structure need attention. The final sentence beginning “Although” is not completed as a clear contrast, and the conclusion contains a sentence fragment. Practise building complete sentences with one clear main clause, then check agreement, verb forms, and punctuation before adding subordinate clauses.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.