Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

Primary and secondary schools every year closes for vacations during the summer for two or more months. and there can be many benefits of long school vacations but many arguments can rise, if these vacations time get shorter as children get lesser time spend with their families to resstart fresh.

Long school holidays can be valuable for kids as it gives kids a chance to get envolve in many other activities that they missed in the whole year, like visiting the grandparents/extended families abroad, enrolling in any skill learning courses, or simply spending valuable time at home and enjoying the life without having a calculated routine, as kids are more likely to learn faster with freedom. For example, when I had my summer vacations, always used to visit my grandparents house which was near a agriculture land, and this was a different experience for a kid like me who was living in urban city environment and never experienced life in rular settings. I get to see how farmers work at land, what are the harvesting time and how vegetables and fruits are grown on land. All these information were available in books but experiencing it made it easier to remember. In a similar way, when kids are occupied with schools, homeworks, exam in whole year. They missed out on many things that can be add value to their lives.

On the other hand, shorter school vacations can be of less or no use. as the routine does not break the minds do not relax and there can be constant worry about getting start it again with the same routine in coming days.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address the value of long holidays with relevant examples, especially the visit to your grandparents’ rural home and the practical learning you gained there. This personal detail helps explain why a break can offer experiences beyond school. However, the response only partly answers the second question: the paragraph on shorter holidays says they are “of less or no use” and focuses on children not relaxing, rather than explaining arguments in favour of shorter breaks, such as maintaining learning continuity or easing childcare pressures. Your position is also unclear because the opening mentions benefits of shorter holidays, while the final paragraph argues against them. Develop both sides and state your view consistently to make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is some organisation: the opening introduces the topic, the main paragraph develops the benefits of long holidays, and “On the other hand” signals a shift. The personal example also follows the point about learning outside school. However, the overall progression is limited because the second side is only briefly discussed and does not clearly support the task’s request for arguments in favour of shorter holidays. Some links are awkward or unclear, including “In a similar way,” which does not precisely connect the example to the following general point. The opening sentence is difficult to follow, and the final paragraph does not provide a developed conclusion. Use clearer topic sentences and organise each argument with an explanation and example.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “skill learning courses,” “calculated routine,” “harvesting,” and “rural settings,” and the farming example gives you scope to describe learning beyond the classroom. However, the range is uneven, with repeated use of “kids,” “school,” and “vacations,” and several inaccurate or unnatural choices make parts harder to understand. For example, “get envolve” and “add value to their lives” do not express the intended ideas naturally, while “agriculture land” and “rular settings” contain word-form or spelling problems. Aim for more precise collocations and check spelling; terms such as “children,” “extracurricular activities,” and “enrich their lives” would suit this discussion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt some longer sentences, including the sentence beginning “For example, when I had my summer vacations,” and use clauses to explain cause and contrast. However, complex structures are often faulty, and errors in basic sentence construction and agreement occur frequently. For instance, “schools every year closes” has incorrect subject–verb agreement, while “always used to visit” lacks a clear subject. The opening also contains a sentence fragment after “months,” and the final paragraph begins “as” as a separate sentence. Other problems include “kids get lesser time spend” and “when kids are occupied … They missed out,” where verb forms and tense consistency are unclear. Practise complete sentences, agreement, and consistent tense before adding more complex clauses.

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