Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-15

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)

It is often debated that primary education institutions prioritize typical learning approach more and i completely agree with this statement because there are less interactivity in classrooms. I think its crucial for kids to participate is extracurricular activities along side studies in primary level because this improves their cognitive development.

In many primary schools, authorities do not possess the facilities to provide extracurricular options to theirs students or sometimes lack the knowledge of its importance and sometimes are very negligent about it. They believe formal approach of learning from text books and memorising long paragraphs and tables in math are enough at this age but neglect that these approaches critically hamper children's way of thinking out of box. Their creativity reduces as there is nobody to push them think beyond. For example, in counties like Bangladesh, most primary schools are quite underdeveloped and lacks the proper training and experience of different teaching methods, leading to focus on typical learning approach for children.

However, in order to improve primary students' creativity and mental development, there should be a perfect balance of extracurricular activities and dedicated learning approach. When students get time to play interactive games, they become more excited to go to school and enjoy learning. The games need to be educational which would include aspects like discipline, creativity, social norms and so on. This way kid would learn communication, leading and basic manners in the form of games which would definitely improve their thinking capability. For example, in surveys worldwide, its observed that children that have interactive learning options in primary schools are much better in communication skills, creativity and smarter compared to those who do not have that opportunity. Primary school is the perfect time for this as children go through continuous brain development.

In conclusion, it is true that primary schools focus more on formal way of learning because of lack of facilities and knowledge but it is very important for children to be able to play at school beside studying as it improves their overall brain development.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the extent of agreement regarding formal learning and the importance of play. The position is clear from the introduction and maintained throughout. Ideas are relevant, such as the mention of cognitive development and the example of schools in Bangladesh. However, the development of ideas is somewhat repetitive, particularly regarding the benefits of play. To reach a higher band, the student should provide more nuanced analysis of why formal learning is overemphasized beyond just 'lack of facilities,' perhaps discussing curriculum pressures or standardized testing requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear central topic. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'However,' 'In conclusion,' and 'For example,' which help guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing, such as 'its' used instead of 'it is' or 'their' used incorrectly in 'to theirs students.' The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to avoid repetitive sentence structures.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to express their ideas clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'cognitive development,' 'extracurricular activities,' and 'interactive learning.' However, there are several word-choice errors and inaccuracies, such as 'typical learning approach' (should be 'traditional'), 'leading to focus' (should be 'leading to a focus'), and 'smarter' (which is informal). The range is sufficient for the task but lacks the precision and sophistication required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement ('schools... lacks,' 'children that have... are... smarter') and missing articles ('in counties like Bangladesh,' 'in primary level'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing apostrophes in 'its' (for 'it is') and 'kids' (should be 'children's'). These errors do not impede communication, but they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score.

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

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