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)

Most of the countries close their schools for two or more months during summer holidays. It is primarily to keep students in good health conditions and avoid any happen which may affect life of students. Usually these holidays start from June or July and end in August.

Firstly, long school holidays help students visit various places and get to know new culture and tradition. It also assist youngsters to know about their homeland. Furthermore, Longer vacations give children time to focus on self improvement as many young individuals take courses or develop new skills like programming, graphic designing, etc. Extensive holiday provide students much interval for outting and then focus on their studies meanwhile clear their concepts, do some research, and complete their home work. Often its seen that students go to school more excited after a lengthy break rather than it contrary.

Secondly, some public believe that shorter school breaks are better because children remain attached to academic activities and keep their study at the same pace. Students focus more efficiently on their education due to shorter holidays. Youngsters spend their time wisely and perform tasks on time. Less number of holidays make students feel the importance of discipline and keep them in touch to school. Some surveys also suggest that shorter holidays make students less irritative and they don't forget their primary responsibilities.

In conclusion, long and short holidays have their pros and cons, therefore one can not be ignored totally. Actually students come energetic after these sort of breaks. They feel more exciting and happy when meeting their friends, sharing memories with them.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both questions: the first body paragraph describes benefits of longer breaks, including travel, cultural learning and developing skills, while the second gives reasons for shorter breaks, such as maintaining study habits and discipline. These are relevant points, but several are asserted rather than explained. For example, the claim that shorter holidays make students “less irritative” is unclear and unsupported, and the opening explanation about protecting students’ health is not developed later. Your conclusion recognises advantages on both sides, but does not clearly state which benefits you consider most important. To strengthen the response, explain the effects of each main point with a specific example and make your overall position more definite.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two sides, and a conclusion. “Firstly” and “Secondly” help signal the change in focus, and ideas within each paragraph are generally related to its topic. However, some connections are mechanical, and the long-holiday paragraph moves quickly from travel to self-improvement, homework and students’ enthusiasm without showing how these points fit together. The sentence beginning “Extensive holiday provide…” is especially difficult to follow because several ideas are joined without clear relationships. The conclusion also repeats the general benefits of breaks rather than drawing the discussion together. Use clearer links between claims and explanations, and organise each paragraph around fewer, more fully connected points.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a range of topic-related vocabulary, including “self improvement,” “academic activities,” “discipline” and “responsibilities,” which helps communicate the main ideas. There are also attempts at less common expressions, such as “Extensive holiday” and “primary responsibilities,” but some choices or combinations are inaccurate or unnatural. Examples include “good health conditions,” “any happen,” “much interval for outting,” and “less irritative”; these can make the intended meaning unclear. Spelling and word-form control also need attention, as in “outting” and “home work.” Aim for accurate, natural collocations rather than adding complex-sounding phrases, and check word forms and spelling during revision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a reason clause in “because children remain attached to academic activities” and a comparison in “rather than it contrary.” Most of the main ideas can be understood, but errors in agreement, articles, verb forms and sentence construction recur. For example, “It also assist youngsters” needs subject–verb agreement, while “Extensive holiday provide” has a similar agreement problem. “Often its seen” needs a passive construction, and the sentence beginning “Extensive holiday provide students…” is not grammatically controlled enough to make its sequence of ideas clear. Review agreement and article use, and divide sentences that contain several separate claims. This will make your range of structures more accurate and easier to follow.

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