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 a lot of contries, primary and secondary schools have a holiday for two months or more especially in the summer holidays. The importance of a long holiday is that students can spend time with their families and th ey can have a long preparation for the upcoming school year. On the other hand, shorter holidays may retain knowledge but it can be stressful to most students.

Long school holiday help learners unwind from school by spending time with their family such as travelling with them to another country. School can be stressful because students do a lot of writing which can make their wrists hurt. In addition, long holidays also provide them a long preparation. Learners can study for the upcoming education and they can also buy their school tools ahead of time. For example, in the Philippines a lot of filipinos buy school materials in summer holidays.

On the other hand, shorter holidays makes the students maintain the knowledge in their last school year but it can be also stressful because there is a short time for break. There is also a short preparation for students in facing the next school year, students may be able to buy school appliance but they can not take a break to relieve from stress. For example, in China chinese education consist only a short holiday making their student focus on their school.

In conclusion, the benefits of a long holiday is that students will not be overwhelmed and they can prepare ahead. While shorter holidays restrict students from a long preparation making them stress.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both questions and give a clear overall contrast: long breaks allow family time and preparation, while shorter breaks may help students retain knowledge but can increase stress. The examples about buying school materials in the Philippines and shorter holidays in China are relevant, though they are asserted rather than explained or supported with detail. The value of long holidays is developed more fully than the arguments in favour of shorter ones; the latter mainly focuses on retaining knowledge, then shifts to disadvantages such as limited rest and preparation. To strengthen the response, explain how shorter breaks could support learning continuity or reduce the need to relearn material, and develop each example so it clearly supports your point.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two sides, and a conclusion. Signposting such as “On the other hand,” “In addition,” and “In conclusion” helps readers follow the main contrast. However, some connections are mechanical, and ideas within paragraphs are not always linked precisely. For example, the paragraph on shorter holidays moves from maintaining knowledge to stress and then to preparation without clearly showing how these points relate. The conclusion also repeats the main ideas rather than drawing the comparison together. Use clearer links between claims and explanations, and organise each body paragraph around one central argument with supporting detail.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “upcoming school year,” “maintain the knowledge,” and “relieve from stress.” There are also attempts at more specific language, such as “school materials” and “preparation.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or repetitive: “school tools,” “school appliance,” and “a long preparation” do not sound natural in context. Spelling and capitalisation errors, including “contries,” “filipinos,” and “chinese,” also affect accuracy. Build a more precise set of expressions for learning continuity, rest, and readiness, and check spelling and natural word combinations during revision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including clauses with “because” and “which,” and the main meaning is generally understandable. However, errors in agreement, articles, and sentence construction occur across the response. For example, “Long school holiday help” needs a plural subject and matching verb, while “shorter holidays makes” has the same agreement problem. In “the benefits of a long holiday is,” the subject and verb do not agree. Some sentences also join separate ideas with commas, as in “there is a short preparation for students in facing the next school year, students may be able to buy…”. Practise checking subject–verb agreement and separating independent clauses with a full stop or suitable conjunction.

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.