Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-05

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people argue that primary schools focus too much on formal learning.

To what extent do you agree with this opinion?

How important do you think it is for children to play as well as learn in the primary school classroom?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 6.5)

Many people are arguing that schools which teach children ranging from age 8-14, pay too much attention on academics and formal learning. I personally am in the favour of individuals who believe primary schools lack extracurriculas activities. Especially Indian schools because there are rarely any physical training (PT) periods in their timetable and some don't even have playgrounds to being with. I personally can relate to this as I barely got to play outside when I was in primary grade, sometimes only once a week.

Young students can get fed up with formal academic exercises such as homeworks, assignments, and theoretical jargon. Sitting all day in classrooms can make them bored and they might lose interest in their studies. Teachers should focus more on interactive and practical activities such as experimenting in a lab instead of reading about from a textbook and plainly solving questions. A child can retain the topic much better if it is more visual and tangible. For instance, an origami activity to teach pythagorean theorem or cutting out shapes from a scrap book to teach geometry.

Children of this age are full of energy and some part of the day should be reserved to let it out. Playing outside can help them relax as well as rejuvinate as it will stimulate not just their muscles but also their brains. Playing various outdoor games is an integral part of a students childhood and is crucial for their growth. Playing outside with friends personally helped me in getting my attenttion back to studies

In summary, playing and studying goes hand in hand for kids and should not be seperated.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

Your position is clear: you agree that primary schools give too much attention to formal learning, and you argue that play and practical activities should also be included. You address both parts of the question, supporting your view with personal experience and relevant examples such as using origami to teach geometry. This gives the response a sound, task-focused basis. However, the importance of play is explained more fully than the extent to which schools currently overemphasise formal learning, and some claims—such as that outdoor play stimulates children’s brains—would benefit from further explanation or support. To develop the response further, explain how a balanced classroom programme could combine academic learning with play and practical work.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a coherent overall structure: it introduces your position, develops practical learning and outdoor play in separate paragraphs, and ends with a concise summary. Ideas generally progress logically, and examples are placed near the points they support. Some connections between ideas are less clear, however. For example, the move from practical classroom activities to outdoor play could be signposted as a shift from learning through activity to play for wellbeing. The opening also spends several sentences on personal context before fully framing the argument. Use a wider range of linking expressions and clearer references between sentences, while avoiding a list-like sequence of examples, to make the progression more consistently smooth.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including terms such as “formal academic exercises,” “interactive and practical activities,” “retain,” and “integral part.” These choices help communicate your ideas, and some less common expressions show an attempt to be precise. There are also noticeable spelling and word-choice or collocation errors, including “extracurriculas,” “rejuvinate,” and “getting my attenttion back.” Phrases such as “theoretical jargon” and “let it out” are not quite natural in their contexts, while “homeworks” is not the usual form. Check spelling carefully and learn common word partnerships; choosing precise, natural expressions will make your argument sound more fluent and controlled.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including clauses with “as” and “if,” and most of your meaning remains clear. Some sentences show useful control, such as the explanation that children may lose interest when they sit in classrooms all day. However, some grammatical errors persist. In the opening, the subject and verb are separated by an unnecessary comma in “schools …, pay,” and “ranging from age 8-14” is awkwardly attached to “children.” There are also issues with articles, agreement, and sentence construction, as in “a students childhood” and “Playing outside with friends personally helped me in getting…” Review punctuation around introductory phrases and check articles, possessives, and sentence patterns when editing.

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.