Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-04

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 6.0)

Several individuals believe that primary schools pay too much attention to formal theoretical learning while neglecting play. I partially agree with this view because academic education is essential for mental development, but at the same time play is beneficial for children’s physical and social growth

Firstly, if primary schools focus enough on formal learning, it will be important for students to develop memory skills. Academic activities such as reading, writing, and speaking help an individual to increase memory power and understand the problem in a detailed manner. Secondly, it will increase the critical thinking and problem-solving capability of a student. For instance, courses such as mathematics encourage children to analyze problems, compare the different solutions, and reach a conclusion, all these contribute to enhancing the problem-solving abilities.

On the other hand, play will help children to improve physical health. Sports activities such as cricket and football encourage physical activities, which will help individuals to remain fit and healthy, that cannot be done with only studying. Additionally, play improves the social network of children. For instance, drama activity in school encourages an individual to participate and perform different roles, which makes a child interact with other people, making them socially active.

To conclude, I believe formal learning helps children in terms of memory power and problem-solving ability. However, play maintains a healthy life and improves social networks. Schools should use a balanced approach of both formal learning and play that is required for health and career perspective.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt, providing a clear position and supporting arguments for both formal learning and play. However, the essay falls slightly short of the 250-word minimum requirement (246 words). While the ideas are relevant, they are somewhat underdeveloped; for instance, the argument regarding 'memory power' could be expanded with more specific examples or deeper analysis. The conclusion effectively summarizes the main points, but the overall brevity limits the depth of the discussion, which prevents it from reaching a higher band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'On the other hand', and 'Additionally' are used to link ideas, although some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different aspects of the argument. To improve, the student could use a wider variety of cohesive devices to create a more natural flow between sentences.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task and allows for clear communication. The student uses some topic-specific terms like 'academic education', 'critical thinking', and 'socially active'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a reliance on simpler phrasing. Some collocations could be more precise, such as 'increase memory power' (better: 'enhance cognitive retention') or 'social network of children' (better: 'social skills' or 'interpersonal skills'). There are no significant spelling errors, but the lexical range lacks the sophistication required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the grammar is generally accurate and communication is not impeded, there are some minor errors and awkward phrasings. For example, 'if primary schools focus enough on formal learning, it will be important for students to develop memory skills' is slightly confusing in its logic. Additionally, the phrase 'that cannot be done with only studying' is a bit informal. The punctuation is generally correct, but the sentence variety could be improved to include more advanced structures like conditionals or passive voice used with greater precision.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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