Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-12

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 5.5)

Certain individuals argue that primary schools focus too much on formal learning. I totaly disagree with this opinion, because both education and physical activities are very vital for child's developments. If children only give priority to studies then their physical growth will restricted and practical knowledge also decreased. That's why both are very crusial for primary school going students.

Formal education is very important for primary school going students, It will improve their memories, develop skills and knowledge of history of the world and other stubjects. All this informaton and knowledge will help them in their career. For instance, if child was good in primary education, so his basics of subjects was cleared and it will helps them in their coming future for jobs and better life.

Structure or planned education is important but playing, physical activity and practical knowledge also very crusial for primary school going students. If children are focus only on studies then their physical and mental grow will be decrased. In children's life skills and practical knowledge development is very vital and it will help them in their future. The best example of this is, in Gujrat one study conducted in that students who were focusing on studies only got less markes than the students who were not just focused on studies but also gained practical knowledge and participated in sports.

In the conclusion, I agree that formal education is important for childrens who are in primary schools, but playing and physical activities also very important for children's physical and mental growth.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You present a position and address both formal learning and the value of play, with relevant points about physical and mental development. However, your stance is not fully consistent: “I totally disagree” suggests formal learning is not excessive, while the conclusion says “I agree that formal education is important,” which does not directly answer how far you agree that schools focus too much on it. The examples are also under-developed. The reference to a study in Gujarat gives no details about who conducted it or what practical learning involved, so it offers limited support. The response is 246 words, four words below the 250-word minimum; this limits the space available to explain and support your position. State your degree of agreement clearly and develop one example in more detail.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs on formal education and play, and a conclusion. This helps the reader identify the main topics. However, progression between ideas is limited, and the argument largely repeats that both study and activity are important. For example, “both education and physical activities are very vital” is repeated in similar terms in the final body paragraph and conclusion. Linking phrases such as “For instance” and “In the conclusion” are used, but connections between claims are sometimes unclear; the Gujarat example, for instance, is introduced without explaining how it supports the preceding point. Use each paragraph to develop a distinct reason, and make the relationship between evidence and claim explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use vocabulary relevant to the topic, including “formal education,” “physical activities,” “practical knowledge,” and “career,” so the main ideas are generally understandable. There are also attempts to use more specific expressions, such as “physical and mental growth.” However, the range is limited and several words or phrases are repeated, particularly “very important” and “primary school going students.” Inaccurate word choice and spelling are noticeable, including “memories” where “memory” or “cognitive skills” is intended, and “crusial,” “stubjects,” and “informaton.” These errors sometimes make the phrasing less clear or natural. Build a wider set of accurate topic vocabulary and check spelling, word forms, and common collocations before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, including conditional forms such as “If children only give priority to studies…” and a sentence beginning “If children are focus only on studies…”. However, control is inconsistent, especially in longer constructions, and errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences difficult to follow. Examples include “their physical growth will restricted,” “if child was good,” and “it will helps them,” which show problems with verb forms, articles, and agreement. There are also sentence-boundary and punctuation issues, such as the comma splice in “students, It will improve…” and the comma before “so” in the example sentence. Practise accurate subject–verb agreement and complete conditional patterns, and use shorter sentences when you are unsure of a complex structure.

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