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 several nations, two to three months long holidays in the summers are common in primary and secondary schools. This essay will look into the benefits of long school holidays.

The long term school holidays are very important for the students, During this time students get some break and they can relax and enjoy. They can spent time with their families or can travel. Once they are back to school , this relaxing period will help them perform better. For example, a recent study from a university showed that students who get long summer breaks perform much better when they return to class.

However, there are strong arguments in the favour of short period It would also be beneficial, because this will help students stick to their routine. They might not get lazy and will be able to continue their studies properly. A long break will make them lazy and they wont be able to remember what they have learnt before vacations.

Conclusively, long summer breaks are great for resting the mind and relaxing with family. However, shorter breaks are also helpful to keep children focused on learning and support working parents.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address both questions: the first body paragraph explains that a long break allows students to rest, spend time with family and travel, while the second argues that shorter holidays help maintain routines and learning. These are relevant points, and the conclusion briefly brings both sides together. However, the response is under the required 250 words, and this limits how fully you can develop your ideas. The benefits are mostly asserted rather than explained; for instance, the university study is mentioned without details or a clear link to improved performance. Your opening also promises to discuss long holidays but does not clearly preview the case for shorter ones. Develop each argument with explanation and a specific, relevant example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two positions, and a concluding summary. The contrast marker “However” helps signal the shift to shorter holidays, and the final sentence connects the two sides. Overall, the ideas are easy to follow. Cohesion is less controlled within paragraphs, though: the second body paragraph begins “However, there are strong arguments in the favour of short period” and then moves abruptly to “It would also be beneficial,” without clearly identifying what “it” refers to. Some spacing and punctuation around paragraph openings also interrupt the flow. Use clear topic sentences and explicit links between each claim and its explanation to make progression smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “summer breaks,” “routine,” “perform better,” and “focused on learning.” There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “arguments in the favour” and “Conclusively.” However, several expressions are awkward or imprecise, including “two to three months long holidays,” “short period,” and “resting the mind.” Repetition of “long,” “break,” and “students” also limits variety. Some word-form and spelling choices, such as “spent” where the intended meaning is “spend” and “wont,” reduce accuracy. Aim for natural collocations and a wider range of precise terms, such as “extended summer vacation” and “retain what they have learned.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use mostly straightforward sentence patterns, with some attempts to combine ideas, as in “Once they are back to school, this relaxing period will help them perform better.” The main meaning is generally clear, but errors in sentence boundaries, verb forms, articles, and punctuation occur. For example, “The long term school holidays are very important for the students, During this time…” joins two sentences with a comma, while “They can spent time” uses the wrong verb form. The sentence “However, there are strong arguments in the favour of short period” is incomplete and lacks necessary grammatical elements. Capitalisation and spacing around commas are also inconsistent. Practise accurate simple sentences first, then add controlled complex structures using “because,” “although,” and “while.”

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