Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-29

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 today's era, where studies is an important part of life in many nations primary and high schools are having breaks for two or more months during summer there are some postivies and negatives for it which will be dicussed in this essasy.

Firstly, longer holidays have big impact on refreshing and giving a break to students from thier hactic life of study and because of this break they will be getting some time to have some time for extracurricular activities like playing outdoors and indoors games and also doing what they like. Extended break will also have effect on teachers which will give them to also refresh but also to prepare thier mind for either new students or also for preparing themself for new semster and also they will be have some time to visit and explore new places and learn about them and also in this time they will be learning new habbits and also new hobbies.

On the other hand, short breks have an impact on continues studies so that students don't forget what they learned and also they will have more time for preparing for exams and also for studies. Teachers also have an impact on short break because they will not be having pressure to complete the portion which will lead to impacting more depth and easy way of teaching and also learning for students and also they will be more discipline and organised.

To conclude, there are two sides of coins similarly holidays also have longer and shorter holidays and both of them have thier on points like refrshing and visitng new places and also preparing for new grade whereas on other side discipline and continues studies respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both questions by describing benefits of longer holidays, such as rest, extracurricular activities and travel, and arguments for shorter breaks, including continuity in learning and exam preparation. This gives the response relevant coverage of the task. However, the ideas are mostly listed rather than explained: for example, you say shorter breaks help students remember what they learned, but do not show how this affects progress or provide a specific example. The opening also refers generally to “positives and negatives” without establishing a clear, direct position. Develop each main point with a reason or example, and make the comparison between the two holiday patterns more explicit to give the response fuller task coverage.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, one paragraph on longer holidays, one on shorter holidays, and a conclusion. The contrast marker “On the other hand” helps signal the shift between the two sides, and the main ideas are generally grouped appropriately. However, progression within the body paragraphs is weakened by long, crowded sentences and repeated linking with “and also.” In the first body paragraph, rest, activities, teachers’ preparation, travel and hobbies are joined together without clear prioritisation. Some references are also unclear, such as “they” referring variously to students and teachers. Use shorter sentences, organise each paragraph around two developed points, and vary linking and referencing to make the relationships between ideas clearer.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “extracurricular activities,” “prepare,” “discipline,” and “organised.” These choices show an attempt to discuss both students’ and teachers’ experiences. However, the range is limited and several expressions are inaccurate or unnatural, which sometimes makes the meaning less clear. Examples include “big impact on refreshing,” “hactic life of study,” and “complete the portion”; spelling errors such as “postivies,” “dicussed,” and “continues” are also noticeable. Aim for more precise collocations and check spelling carefully. For instance, describe holidays as allowing students to “rest and recharge,” and refer to teachers completing the “syllabus” rather than the “portion.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to connect ideas in longer sentences and use some subordinate clauses, such as “so that students don't forget what they learned.” However, complex sentences are often difficult to follow because clauses are joined without clear punctuation or complete grammatical structures. The opening sentence, for example, runs several ideas together, while “Extended break will also have effect on teachers which will give them to also refresh” has problems with articles, clause structure and verb patterns. There are also agreement and form errors, including “studies is” and “they will be have.” Practise building accurate simple sentences first, then add one subordinate clause at a time. Check articles, subject–verb agreement and verb forms during editing.

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