Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-30
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 most of the countries, schools such as primary and high schools are close for two months or more during summar holidays. Holidays are one of those important events in students life where they take a break from study and enjoy there time by taking other activities. From my point of view, holidays are necessary but it should not be too long.
On the first hand, holidays are neccessary for all the staff and students to regain there energy and take a break from school stuff. For instance, they have to study for almost all years and focus on exam, activities and attendance.They do not get enough space amd time to spend with their close one such as family and friends. Therefore, long school holidays are required to focus on other activities rather than only concentrating on studies. Moreover,they will get more time to spend with their family and can travel to new places to experiences sudden holy place.
On the other hand, some people are in the favour of short holidays and their are various reasons for this statement. Longer holidays are disadvantages for some parents as they do not have enough money to spend during holidays and children get bored easily. However, shorter holidays are more convenent for both parent and students. From my opinion, break are required to be short another wise they will lost the interest to focus on study again. Furthermore, shorter holidays are better in every aspect.
In the conclusion, holidays are one of the most neccessary events in students life. But longer holidays will burden the parent and students. However, shorter holidays are way better both the side.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You address both questions and give a clear overall view: holidays are necessary, but they should not be too long. Relevant benefits include rest, time for family and friends, and opportunities to travel; you also explain that long breaks can create costs for parents and boredom for children. However, these points are mostly asserted rather than developed. For example, the claim that students need time for activities beyond study could be explained with a specific example, and the case for shorter holidays would be stronger if you showed how shorter breaks help learning or parents’ schedules. The conclusion repeats your preference but does not add much support. Develop each main reason with explanation or an example to make the response more complete.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs presenting the two sides, and a conclusion. This makes the overall arrangement easy to follow, and signposts such as “On the other hand” help distinguish the arguments. Some connections are mechanical or unclear, however. “On the first hand” is not the usual expression, and “Therefore” does not clearly follow from the preceding point about limited time with family. The paragraph about shorter holidays also moves quickly from parents’ costs to children’s boredom and then to maintaining interest in study. Group related ideas and explain the link between them. Clearer referencing and more precise transitions would make the progression smoother.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use enough topic vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “regain their energy,” “focus on studies,” and “shorter holidays.” However, the range is limited and several inaccurate word choices or collocations make the writing less natural. Examples include “school stuff,” “sudden holy place,” and “in the favour of short holidays”; the intended meanings are not always clear. Spelling errors such as “neccessary,” “convenent,” and “summar” are also noticeable. Aim for precise, natural phrases rather than adding unfamiliar wording: for example, describe visiting “historical or religious sites” if that is what you mean. Proofreading spelling and checking collocations will improve clarity.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt both simple and more extended sentences, including a reason-and-result structure with “Therefore” and a contrast introduced by “However.” Nevertheless, errors occur frequently, and some sentences are difficult to interpret. For example, “schools … are close” uses the wrong verb form, while “break are required to be short” has a subject–verb agreement problem. In “they will lost the interest,” the verb form is incorrect, and “Holidays are one of the most necessary events in students life” has problems with number and possessive form. Sentence boundaries and spacing also need attention, as in “attendance.They.” Practise accurate agreement, verb forms, articles and possessives, then proofread each sentence.
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