Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-02

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)

Nowadays, In various states, primary and secondary close for more then 60 days in summer vacations.

Firstly, individual often say about the value of long school holiday is to give students some time to explore themselves. for example, many students get enroll in the English classes during holidays, on the other hand some students choose to go for a summer camp. The main drawback of long school holidays in my country is that students waste free vacation time in there homes or villages rather then spending it on any productive learning. therefore, the students who do not utilize there vacation time in anything end up re-joining school not mentally relaxed. similarly, the students which enrolled themselves in different kind of activities are more active.

Secondly, There is discussion in favour of less school holidays, according to the data from authorities in Pakistan. There are 2 long vacations. for instance, 60 days in summer and 15 days during winter session likewise 54 weekend holidays despite that we also have 25 more public holidays. Government is thinking to reduce that in upcoming years because it is effecting the syllables of primary and secondary. In addition, still teachers oppose the idea of reducing holidays because they think it can overwhelm the students and affect there social life.

Overall, i personally believe that number of holidays should not ne decreased. However, Authorities should launch new skill short courses for students and encourage students to enroll in those courses during there holidays because poverty in Pakistan is may more then we expect so everyone can not afford to enroll in private courses or go for a summer camp.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both questions: you explain that long holidays can let students explore interests through English classes or summer camps, and you present arguments for shorter breaks, including concerns about the syllabus and teachers’ worries about students feeling overwhelmed. Your final position—that holidays should not be reduced, but affordable courses should be offered—is clear. However, some points are less fully developed than others. The claim that students return “not mentally relaxed” is difficult to follow, and the figures about weekends and public holidays are listed without explaining how they support shorter holidays. Develop the comparison by explaining the educational or family benefits of each holiday pattern and linking examples directly to your argument.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an opening, two main sections signalled by “Firstly” and “Secondly,” and a concluding opinion. This gives the reader an overall route through the discussion. Some connections, however, are mechanical or unclear. “On the other hand” introduces another example rather than a contrast, while “therefore” does not clearly follow from the preceding point. The long sentence beginning “There are 2 long vacations” combines several statistics and ideas, making the relationship between them hard to track. Referencing in phrases such as “that” and “it” is also not always clear. Use shorter, more focused sentences and connect each supporting detail explicitly to the point it illustrates.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of vocabulary, including “productive learning,” “overwhelm,” “social life,” and “skill short courses,” to discuss education and holidays. These choices show an attempt to express more than basic ideas. However, inaccurate word choice, collocation, and spelling sometimes make the meaning less natural: “get enroll” and “the syllables” do not convey the intended meanings, and “effecting” is used where a different word is needed. There are also repeated forms such as “holidays” and “students,” and several spelling errors, including “there” for “their” and “then” for “than.” Aim for precise education-related terms and check spelling and common word partnerships carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including clauses introduced by “because” and “although” (in the contrast about teachers’ views). The main ideas are generally understandable, but some grammatical errors make relationships between ideas unclear. For example, “individual often say about the value” has problems with number and sentence construction, and “the students which enrolled themselves” uses an unsuitable relative structure and verb form. Articles, agreement, and punctuation also need attention, as in “primary and secondary close” and the inconsistent capitalisation after full stops. Practise building accurate sentences around one main idea, then add subordinate clauses; check subject–verb agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries during editing.

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