Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-24

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 6.0)

Two months or more holidays in the summer is given to the primary and secondary students in several nations. This essay will discuss the value of long vacations and the reasons why some prefer short holidays.

Students, who are in primary and secondary level education, are still developing their brain and learning new skills in their life. Those skills and knowledge is the base of their livelihood. Therefore, Those student need a proper break from learning and good rest before they continue their educational journey. For instance, a student, who is in primary or secondary school, is facing significant pressure than they should in such young age. The education syllabuses have advanced a lot compared to the past. Therefore, such delicate brains need sufficient break before go back in to learning advanced and complex subjects. The summer break should last at least more than 2 months for students to take a break from education.

However, parents and teachers does not feel the same way about the long holidays as students. they argue that, after a extended period of break from education can make students to forget the things they have learnt. Which is a valid argument from their perspective. If a student forget everything they learn after a break from the learning what is the point of teaching. For example, if a student forgets how to solve a math equation after a vacation breaks should be limited. However, there is a simple solution for such problem, which is providing some homework to complete during the vacation.

In conclusion, long vacation is important for students to rest and recover and short vacations are favorable because student can forget the things that they learnt over the time. However, as a student myself, I believe it is important to take long breaks rather than a small break.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both questions and maintain a clear preference for longer holidays, especially in the conclusion. The value of a break is explained through students’ need for rest and recovery, while the case for shorter holidays is represented by the risk of forgetting learned material. These are relevant ideas, but some are more fully developed than others: the discussion of student pressure is repeated, and the shorter-holiday argument is mainly presented as parents’ and teachers’ concern before being answered with homework. Develop the benefits of shorter breaks more directly—for example, by explaining how they may help students retain routines or reduce the need for revision. This would make the comparison more balanced and the supporting examples more precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, one paragraph for each side of the discussion, and a conclusion that restates your view. Linking expressions such as “Therefore,” “However,” and “For example” help readers follow the main progression. At times, though, cohesion is mechanical or the links between sentences are unclear. In the second body paragraph, “Which is a valid argument” is a sentence fragment, and the rhetorical question about the point of teaching interrupts the explanation rather than advancing it. The repeated use of “Therefore” also makes some connections feel formulaic. Use clearer references and build each paragraph around a sequence of claim, explanation, and example to make the progression smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of vocabulary, including “significant pressure,” “educational journey,” “advanced,” and “complex subjects,” and the main ideas remain understandable. However, several word choices and collocations are awkward or imprecise, such as “the base of their livelihood,” “delicate brains,” and “vacation breaks.” There is also repetition of “break,” “learning,” and “student,” which limits flexibility. Some forms are inaccurate, including “education syllabuses” where a more natural phrase would be “school curricula.” Aim for precise, natural combinations rather than elevated-sounding phrases that do not fit the context. More varied terms for holidays, learning, and retention would strengthen the vocabulary while keeping your meaning clear.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including relative clauses and cause-and-effect structures, and the overall meaning is generally clear. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly with agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries. For example, “Those skills and knowledge is” should use a plural verb, while “parents and teachers does not” needs a plural verb form. “After a extended period” has an article error, and “Which is a valid argument” is an incomplete sentence. The sentence beginning “If a student forget everything” also has subject–verb agreement problems. Review agreement and article use, and check that each sentence contains a complete main clause. These corrections would improve accuracy without sacrificing your attempts at complex structures.

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