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)

Education plays a vital role in a students life particularly at the primary stage which provide a base of their career .There is a considerable debate on whether primary schools are focusing more on formal learning techniques while they can incorporate more creative and practical learning ways .

I strongly agree that most of the primary school focus on academic driven learning rather than extra curricular activities which help students to enhance their cognitive ability along with their logical ability , reasoning as they are often expensive to host as new faculty or specialists are needed . Furthermore , teachers are told to emphasize on the academic curriculum so that the student excel in his study which overall improves school's reputation and result .

In my opinion it is equally important for the children to play along with their studies as playing improve their physical health for instance a student plays football or cricket after completing his homework it refreshes his mind and also help to maintain his health as it's a form of exercise . Moreover , extra curricular activities also help children to explore their interest in sports , music or dance which they can pursue as a career and it also improve their communication skills as when the children communicate with each other they become more confident and learn from their peers leading towards their development .

In conclusion , I agree that schools concentrate more on their academic curriculum of improve child's academic result as its often expensive to host extra activities which require new faculties nevertheless its important of children to play for their personal development .

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 throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation regarding why schools focus on academics—citing costs and reputation—is relevant but could be expanded with more specific examples or deeper analysis. The second body paragraph discusses the benefits of play well, but the link between 'playing' and 'communication skills' could be more explicitly connected to the classroom environment. Overall, the response is relevant and covers all requirements, but it lacks the depth of analysis required for a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear central topic. Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'Moreover', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and there are instances where the flow is interrupted by punctuation errors, such as the missing spaces before commas and periods throughout the text. Referencing is generally clear, but the progression of ideas within paragraphs could be smoother to avoid a repetitive structure. The paragraphing is appropriate, but the internal cohesion needs more variety to reach a higher level.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to express their ideas clearly. There is an attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'cognitive ability', 'academic curriculum', and 'extra curricular activities'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are occasional errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'academic driven learning' (should be 'academically-driven') and 'improve child's academic result' (should be 'improve children's academic results'). The vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the message, but it lacks the sophistication and precision required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the student attempts complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'primary schools focus', 'playing improve', 'it also improve') and article usage. Punctuation is a significant issue, with consistent errors regarding spacing before punctuation marks and missing commas in complex sentences. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the message, they are frequent enough to indicate a lack of control over more complex structures, keeping the score in the 5.5 to 6.0 range.

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.