Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-16
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)
A group of people advocates that formal learning should be focused majorly in primary schools. I would like to diagree with given opinion because it is not necessary for each kid to be better at formal education and children should be allowed to play for an adequate period of time along with formal education lessons.
In current times, formal education is not the only measure of a bright kid. Although an education given in primary schools lays the foundation for future studies, it is not compulsory for each kid to be best at it. They can be better in performing arts like music. For instance, a renowned Indian classical singer Lata Mangeshkar is inspiration for many aspiring new singers and if she focused too much on formal education in her early age then she might not have been such a great singer and inspiration for many aspiring singers.
It is highly important for children to play when they are in primary schools. This time period is believed to be golden period for physical growth of a child. Engaing in outside activities help kids improve their physical health. Almost all the sports requires them to do some kind of running, which keeps them fit and helps in muscle growth necessary for humans. For example, if a kid is not able to achieve threshold of muscle growth then he/she might suffer for permanent or temporary physical disability.
In conclusion, I disagree with the people advocating that formal teaching should take presedence compared to other activities in primary education. Kids need to engage in physical activities necessary for health and they can be better at many other things like music apart from formal education which helps them lead successful life.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both parts of the prompt, expressing a clear position against an excessive focus on formal learning and discussing the importance of play in primary schools. The ideas are generally relevant, but the development is somewhat limited and relies on single examples, such as the mention of Lata Mangeshkar, which tends to over-generalise. While the stance is maintained throughout, the supporting arguments could be extended further to achieve a higher band. Overall, all parts of the task are addressed, placing the response securely in Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay has a clear logical arrangement with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas, such as academic versus artistic success in the second paragraph and physical development in the third. However, referencing and cohesive devices are occasionally repetitive or mechanical, such as the use of 'For instance' and 'For example' in close succession. While the overall progression is clear, cohesion is sometimes faulty, leading to a Band 6.0 score.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, attempting some less common items such as 'threshold', 'presedence', and 'adequete period'. However, there are noticeable spelling and word choice errors, such as 'diagree' for disagree, 'Engaing' for engaging, and 'presedence' for precedence. These errors do not seriously impede communication, but they reflect limitations in lexical control that prevent the response from reaching Band 7.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over structure. However, there are frequent minor grammatical inaccuracies, such as missing articles ('at early age', 'lead successful life'), subject-verb agreement issues ('Almost all the sports requires'), and awkward phrasing. While these errors rarely impede communication, the presence of frequent mistakes across complex structures keeps the grammar score at Band 5.5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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