Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-28

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)

Primary schools started focusing more on formal learning in school curriculum. It includes structural leaning focusing on equal importance on academic learning and physical activities. I deeply agree with this point and will discuss my opinion in forthcoming paragraphs.

Traditional studies used to focus more on academic progress, how well a student can perform in written test and oral examination, and had very small exposure to extra curriculum activities such as sports, singing, art and drawing etc. There were nearly 20% of the curriculum which included these activities. Which helped to develop academic skills but leak with physical fitness and interest apart form studies. In contrary, today primary school curriculums started prioritizing both academic learning and extra curriculum activities. Such sports activities and yoga/exercise periods could help maintaining physical heath. Exposure to sports and creative field help students to gain knowledge beyond academic and sharpens their adaption ability. Moreover, to judge a students academic ability, schools are now conducting other ways to test student's ability from written tests. It includes, hands-on exercise, assembly and oral test etc.

Balancing both academic and extra-curriculum wisely a student can land into the state where hands-on experience can be helpful to develop concentration and ability to remember things quicky in studies.

To summaries the discussion in my opinion, practically balancing extra-curriculum activities in school help students to develop practical understanding, decision making skills and communication skills to understand and solve real-life problems. To make this possible schools can manage and develop their curriculum by observing children's capability, understanding and adaption capacity.

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. However, the development is somewhat uneven. While you clearly state your position, some arguments, such as the mention of '20% of the curriculum', lack specific context or evidence. The discussion on how schools judge ability is relevant but could be more deeply linked to the core argument about the balance between formal and informal learning. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is fully extended with clear examples or logical consequences that directly support your stated position.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the flow of ideas. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'In contrary' (should be 'In contrast') and 'To summaries' (should be 'To summarize'). The transition between the introduction and the body paragraphs is clear, but the internal logical progression within paragraphs could be smoother. Some sentences feel disjointed, and the referencing of ideas could be more precise to ensure that the relationship between academic learning and physical activity is consistently maintained throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to express your ideas clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'curriculum', 'academic progress', and 'adaption ability'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and minor errors, such as 'leak with physical fitness' (likely meant 'lack') and 'adaption ability' (should be 'adaptability'). The range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey meaning, but it lacks the sophistication and precision required for higher bands. Focusing on accurate collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing will help improve your score in this area.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as 'Primary schools started focusing' (tense inconsistency), 'a students academic ability' (missing possessive apostrophe), and 'quicky' (spelling). Additionally, some sentence fragments or awkward phrasings, such as 'Balancing both academic and extra-curriculum wisely a student can land into the state', impede the flow. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, correct use of articles, and ensuring that complex sentences are constructed with grammatical precision.

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.