Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-31

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)

Some people debate over the fact that alot of primary schools pay more attention to formal learning more than they do to informal learning. I strongly disagree with this because both formal and informal learning plays a role in academic growth and life development of a child.

Formal teachings streamlines the essence of education and help students to be good in a particular field instead in all aspects of life. When a child is being taught just science causes without incorporating enterpreneur to it, there is no way for him to know if he truly belongs there. A friend of mine became so frustrated after college because he couldn't get a job in line with what he studied. After a year or two, he ventured into production with the aid of his friends . This was only possible because he was taught how to be creative and innovative in school.

With the way the world is going now, AI and skills have taken all career. People didn't get the opportunity to learn other things in school are paying for it. Imagine if the students were allowed to learn on their own both at home and in school. This would have created and inculcated the habit of creativity and higher reasoning skills. A girl named Ada learnt how to use the laptop as a child and it is paying off today. She self taught herself hgow to write prompts and today, she is prompting AI for companies while her mates are still job hunting.

When a child is still in elementary class, it is important that he or she plays alongside studying because it helps in brain activation. There is this popular saying that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Not only does it sharpen the brain, it improves socializing. This is because an active child doesn't like playing alone so they tend to play with friends which helps their development.

In as much as we feel that formal education is the only thing we come to school for, it is without doubt that it works hand in hand with informal education because it exposes students to other great things that just formal learning can not.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed both parts of the prompt: your opinion on formal learning and the importance of play. Your position is clear throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. While you provide personal anecdotes about a friend and 'Ada', these examples are a bit anecdotal and could be more effectively linked to the broader educational context. The argument regarding AI and career skills is relevant but could be more clearly connected to the 'primary school' focus of the prompt, as your examples relate more to college or adult life. To reach a higher band, ensure your supporting points consistently relate back to the primary school environment.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'This was only possible because' and 'Not only does it sharpen the brain', which help link your thoughts. However, some transitions are a bit mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear (e.g., 'People didn't get the opportunity... are paying for it'). The concluding paragraph is a bit repetitive and does not fully synthesize the arguments presented. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would enhance the flow of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'inculcated', 'innovative', and 'brain activation'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and minor errors, such as 'science causes' (likely meant 'subjects'), 'enterpreneur' (should be 'entrepreneurship'), and 'self taught herself' (redundant). While these errors do not impede communication, they limit the precision of your expression. To improve, focus on using collocations more accurately and expanding your range of academic vocabulary to avoid repetitive phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors throughout the text, such as 'Some people debate over the fact that alot' (informal 'alot'), 'both formal and informal learning plays' (subject-verb agreement error), and 'she is prompting AI for companies while her mates are still job hunting' (a bit informal). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some missing commas in complex sentences. While these errors are noticeable, they do not prevent the reader from understanding your main points. Increasing your control over complex sentence structures will help improve your score.

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

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