Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-25

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)

Nowadays people argue that primary schools focus too much on formal learning than informal learning. I strongly agree with this opinion because I believe that it is very important for a children to learn by informal activities too.

I believe that focusing more on formal learning lack confidence in students, they are just bound to schedule and work, which make them bored to some extent and that is the reason some children find school boring foe example if you burden a student with a lot of learning work and homework without any fun activities , they see it as a burden and try to avoid it after some time when they feel stressed. It lack confidence in them , and mitigate their belief in themselves they are then just bound to work. Their mind will not grow and they start losing their spark.

While in informal activities the students do different fun activities like playing, painting, drawing etc, they get to do different things which make their nervous system relax. They are involved in multiple activities which build confidence in them and make them mentally and physically resilient. For example if a student play racket shuttle and he is good in it, he start believing in-self and then began to participate in sports and practice more which will make him physically strong. Every student had different hidden talent and they need a platform to show that, school is the best place to help them in this.

In conclusion I will say informal learning make children more active and persistent besides formal learning.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

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. However, the development of ideas is somewhat repetitive. For instance, the argument that formal learning causes stress and a lack of confidence is repeated in the second paragraph without adding new depth. While the examples provided (such as playing racket sports) are relevant, the explanation could be more sophisticated to reach a higher band. The conclusion is brief and does not fully synthesize the points made, but the task requirements are met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and limited. Transitions between sentences are often abrupt, and there is a lack of variety in linking words. For example, the transition between the discussion of formal learning and informal activities relies on simple contrast. Additionally, some referencing is unclear, such as the phrase 'it lack confidence in them' which lacks a clear antecedent. Improving the flow between sentences would significantly enhance the coherence of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for a higher band. There is some repetition of basic terms like 'learning', 'activities', and 'work'. The student attempts to use some topic-specific vocabulary (e.g., 'resilient', 'mitigate'), but there are instances of awkward word choice or collocation, such as 'racket shuttle' (likely meaning badminton) and 'in-self'. Spelling is generally accurate, but the overall lexical range is narrow, relying on common, everyday language rather than more academic or nuanced expressions.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'it lack confidence', 'every student had different hidden talent') and article usage. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some run-on sentences and missing commas. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. More attention to verb tenses and pluralization is needed to improve accuracy.

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.