Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · 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 4.5)
Most of the nations provide with the holidays of duration two months in summers as temperature rises so they have to close schools for months for primary and secondary wings.
To commence with, it should be mandatory for organisations the keep the wings closed for children as the weather is not suited for everyone as the wind really becomes hot and can expose us to loo as well as it provides them with ample time so they could study better along with doing activites assigned by school teachers in form of homework.This time could be used for betterment by joining certain activites following swimming and aerobics which help them to build a great strength as well as can plan a short vacation with family as it will them to integrate experience and a great bond with family.
Probing further, personal experience shared by some parents that their pupils are not studying during vacations and playing games all the day as well as watching parody and not willing to listen parents and support arguments with them.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0
The response makes a relevant start by explaining that hot summer weather can make school uncomfortable, and it mentions possible benefits such as homework, swimming and family holidays. However, it addresses the task only partially: the value of long holidays is touched on, while the arguments for shorter holidays are not clearly explained. The final point about pupils playing games and not listening to parents could support a case for shorter breaks, but its connection to the question is left implicit and undeveloped. The response also contains only 175 words, below the required 250, so there is not enough explanation or support for the ideas. Develop both sides explicitly and add a relevant example for each.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5
There is an attempt to organise the response, with an opening statement followed by paragraphs introduced by “To commence with” and “Probing further.” These markers show an effort to guide the reader. However, the ideas do not form a clear progression: the second paragraph moves from weather to homework, activities and family holidays, while the final paragraph introduces parents’ concerns without explaining how they support shorter holidays. Some sentences contain several ideas joined together, making relationships between points difficult to follow. Use one paragraph for the benefits of long holidays and another for the case for shorter breaks, with clear topic sentences and linking explanations.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The response uses some topic-related vocabulary, including “primary and secondary,” “vacations,” “homework,” “swimming” and “aerobics,” and attempts less common expressions such as “ample time” and “integrate experience.” However, the range is limited and several choices or collocations are inaccurate or unclear, which sometimes makes the intended meaning difficult to understand. For example, “provide with the holidays” and “expose us to loo” do not communicate the ideas naturally, while “integrate experience” is not an appropriate phrase for describing a family holiday. Spelling errors such as “activites” also reduce accuracy. Prefer precise, familiar expressions and check collocations and spelling.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response attempts to use longer sentences and subordinate clauses, for example, “as the weather is not suited for everyone” and “as it will them to integrate experience.” However, complex structures are often faulty, and errors in sentence construction can make meaning difficult to follow. Examples include “it should be mandatory for organisations the keep the wings closed,” the missing verb in “as it will them,” and the incomplete final sentence beginning “personal experience shared by some parents.” There are also problems with articles, agreement and punctuation, including the run-on sentence after “homework.” Build accuracy with shorter, complete sentences first, then combine ideas using correctly formed clauses and careful punctuation.
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.