Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-11
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)
The provided pie chart and table illustrate the various categories of library users and their corresponding satisfaction percentages across five different library services.
Overall, full-time undergraduate students form the largest user group. Additionally, users are highly satisfied with the staff, whereas journal availability has the highest percentage of dissatisfaction.
Looking at the pie chart, nearly half of the users are full-time undergraduates (44%). The second largest group is full-time postgraduates at 25%. Part-time postgraduates account for 16%, which is exactly double the percentage of distance learners (8%). Academic staff make up the smallest category, comprising just 7% of total users.
According to the table, an overwhelming 95% of users are very satisfied with staff helpfulness. Library opening hours also receive positive feedback, with 65% feeling very satisfied. In contrast, 20% of users are not satisfied with journal availability, and 19% report dissatisfaction with wi-fi reliability. Finally, book availability leaves 10% of users feeling unsatisfied.The provided pie chart and table illustrate the various categories of library users and their corresponding satisfaction percentages across five different library services.
Overall, full-time undergraduate students form the largest user group. Additionally, users are highly satisfied with the staff, whereas journal availability has the highest percentage of dissatisfaction.
Looking at the pie chart, nearly half of the users are full-time undergraduates (44%). The second largest group is full-time postgraduates at 25%. Part-time postgraduates account for 16%, which is exactly double the percentage of distance learners (8%). Academic staff make up the smallest category, comprising just 7% of total users.
According to the table, an overwhelming 95% of users are very satisfied with staff helpfulness. Library opening hours also receive positive feedback, with 65% feeling very satisfied. In contrast, 20% of users are not satisfied with journal availability, and 19% report dissatisfaction with wi-fi reliability. Finally, book availability leaves 10% of users feeling unsatisfied.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 1.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 1.0
The response is completely off-topic. The prompt asks for an essay regarding the balance between formal learning and play in primary schools. However, the student has written a report describing a pie chart and a table about library users and satisfaction levels. Because the response does not address the task instructions at all, it fails to meet the requirements of the prompt. According to the IELTS criteria, a response that is off-topic must be penalised heavily in Task Achievement, as it does not address any part of the question provided.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The response is well-structured as a report, with clear paragraphing and logical progression. The student uses cohesive devices such as 'Additionally', 'In contrast', and 'Finally' effectively to link ideas. While the content is entirely irrelevant to the prompt, the internal organisation of the text itself is coherent and follows a standard structure for an Academic Task 1 report. The paragraphing is logical, and the information is presented in a clear, sequential manner, which demonstrates a good grasp of text structure despite the failure to address the actual task.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.5
The vocabulary used is appropriate for describing data, including terms like 'account for', 'comprising', 'satisfaction percentages', and 'dissatisfaction'. The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe trends and statistics accurately. There is a good level of precision in the language used to report the data, such as 'exactly double' and 'overwhelming'. While the vocabulary is not sophisticated, it is accurate and fits the context of a data analysis report well, showing a sufficient range for the task.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0
The grammar is generally accurate, with a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. The student demonstrates good control over punctuation and sentence construction. There are very few grammatical errors, and the writing is clear and easy to follow. The use of comparative structures and passive voice is handled correctly. While the range of structures is not highly complex, the accuracy is high, and the sentences are consistently error-free, which is a strong point of the writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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