Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-25

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)

In recent years, school holidays has a matter of considerable debate due to its far reaching impact on students. While some people hold different viewponts, i believe that school should give holidays for students around one to two months. In this essay i will explain my points why school should give short holidays for students.

One of the main reason of my viewpoint is that long holiays may cause affect of students studies. For example,if the schools gives long holiday for students, they spend their valuable time in pointless activities. In this situation, If schools should give homework or assingnments for their students, we reduce time which students use in pointless activities.

Another reason for my view point is that why schools should give short holidays. Althoug evey schools have their own rules, the schools should give short holidays. Because after a long duration of studies, student wants some rest. From my prespective the better way is governments should take steps for students for short holidays and reduce wasting valuable time of students. Holidays just give in extreme temperature such as extreme cold and winter seasons. Because in mostly countries the extreme weather is around one month of each extreme temperature. For instance, in Pakistan just jaunuary have a extreme cold weather and schools give 15 days holidays.

in conclusion, both holidays have their merits and demerits. While long holidays may be approperiate in certain circumstances, i believe that short holidays is right option because it proviode greater overall benefits for students.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You give a clear preference for shorter holidays, and the Pakistan example about January weather is relevant. However, the response only partially answers the two questions. The value of long holidays is not really explained: the essay mainly argues that long breaks can lead to “pointless activities,” without considering benefits such as rest, family time, or opportunities outside school. The arguments for shorter holidays are also limited, and the claim that schools should assign homework does not clearly explain why shorter breaks are preferable. Develop both sides with specific reasons and examples, then make your conclusion follow from that discussion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion, so the reader can identify its general structure. You also use signposting such as “For example,” “Another reason,” and “in conclusion.” However, progression within paragraphs is often unclear: the first body paragraph moves from long holidays to homework without explaining the connection, while the second combines rest, government action, weather, and the Pakistan example. Some linking words are used inaccurately, including “Although” followed by a sentence that does not complete the contrast. Organise each paragraph around one main argument and use clear cause-and-effect links to show how each example supports it.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You attempt some topic-related vocabulary, including “considerable debate,” “extreme temperature,” and “valuable time,” and the main ideas are generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, which sometimes makes the meaning difficult to follow. For example, “holidays has a matter” and “may cause affect” do not express the intended ideas naturally; “pointless activities” is also a broad, unsupported description. Spelling errors such as “viewponts,” “holiays,” and “approperiate” further reduce accuracy. Build a more precise vocabulary for discussing the benefits and drawbacks of school breaks, and check spelling and common word combinations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a conditional structure beginning “If the schools gives long holiday” and a contrast introduced by “While.” However, complex attempts are often faulty, and errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences hard to understand. Examples include subject–verb agreement in “school holidays has” and “schools gives,” missing or incorrect articles in “a extreme cold weather,” and incomplete or poorly joined sentences such as “Because after a long duration of studies, student wants some rest.” Capitalisation and punctuation are also inconsistent. Practise accurate sentence boundaries, agreement, articles, and conditional forms before adding more complex structures.

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