Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-01

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 countries, primary and secocondary schools, learners go on a break for two months or more during the summer holidays. In my essay i will explain why i am in support of the value that prolonged school holidays have on the pupils and my arguments favouring shorter school holidays.

On the other hand, it is essential for kids to take long holidays from school, because its important that they take some time off there busy school schedule in order to enjoy the outdoors and to catchup with there friends. Provided they still continue to go through there school work, so that they dont remain behind with their school work.

To amplify this point further; who would want to go for a whole year without taking a break? no one. Therefore, learners need to rest and recharge.

For instance, in Zambia, its common for schools to close in December because its the festive season, and most families use this opportunity to travel for holidays.

Rather than taking long holidays, short school breaks are equally cardinal, because they offer flexibility to working class parents who may not have the finances for day care or to hire a nanny to remain with the children at home.

For example, most parents work full time and having kids at home requires an adult present, to supervise and monitor them, so shorter breaks can help parents to split there time at work, probably even take leave from for the time schools are closed.

In conclusion, having long breaks during summer holidays is essentially okay for kids and teachers to reset and prepare next term, whilst i feel shorter breaks are more important because they offer flexibility on both the kids and the guardians.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both questions and make your preference clear in the conclusion: long breaks help pupils rest, while shorter breaks can suit working parents. The Zambia example also gives the discussion a relevant, personal context. However, the value of long holidays is mainly explained through rest, outdoor activities and seeing friends, with little development of other possible benefits, such as independent interests or family time. The case for shorter holidays focuses almost entirely on childcare and does not consider possible educational advantages. The opening says you will explain your support, but the position is not fully clear until the conclusion. Develop each side with a fuller explanation and a specific example, and state your overall view consistently from the introduction onward.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two sides, and a conclusion. Examples are placed alongside the points they support, which helps the reader follow the discussion. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes weak. The long-holiday paragraph moves from rest to schoolwork and then to a rhetorical question without clearly connecting these ideas. “On the other hand” is not an accurate transition for introducing the first supporting argument, and “Rather than taking long holidays” makes the shift to shorter breaks sound more oppositional than the discussion requires. Some references, such as “this opportunity,” could be more explicit. Use topic sentences that directly identify each argument and link explanations to examples with clearer, more precise transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some topic-relevant vocabulary, including “prolonged school holidays,” “flexibility,” “supervise,” and “recharge,” and the meaning is generally understandable. There are also attempts at more formal expression, such as “essential” and “cardinal.” However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural: “cardinal” does not fit naturally in “short school breaks are equally cardinal,” and “flexibility on both the kids and the guardians” is an awkward collocation. Repetition of “school work,” “holidays,” and “breaks” also limits range. Spelling errors such as “secocondary,” “catchup,” and “there” for “their” reduce accuracy. Choose vocabulary for naturalness and precision rather than formality, and proofread spelling and possessive forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, including clauses with “because,” “so that,” and “whilst.” However, control is inconsistent, and several sentence structures are faulty. “Provided they still continue to go through their school work” is a fragment, while “In most countries, primary and secondary schools, learners go on a break” has an unclear grammatical relationship between the subject and the rest of the sentence. Errors in apostrophes and sentence punctuation also recur, as in “its important” and “no one” after a question mark. There are problems with possessive forms and agreement patterns, too. Practise building complete sentences around one main clause, then check clause connections, apostrophes, and punctuation before submitting.

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