Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

In recent days, it become quite common that primary schools main objective is to focus on formal learning or follow syllabus structured learning pattern. As a result, some people think that it is equally important for children to play as well as to learn in primary school classroom. However, I disagree with this view as the main important and crucial part of primary school is to teach children in school instead of encourage them to play more in classroom.

One important reason is that, young children mental capacity and physical capabilities is very less due to which a child can get distracted very easily and can be exhausted really fast by playing different kinds of games and all. Play while learn method is only effective for children in higher class as they are more stronger in terms of mental capacity and strength.

Furthermore, competition among the children and teaching institution puts a lots of peer pressure on the children and as well as to their teaching staff. As nowadays it becomes quite common that different institutions compete against different institution over the race of providing higher marks and ranking among their students, due to which children would not be able to get any guidance regarding the playful activities and sports. Moreover, parent or a guardian plays a vital role in child developmen as they are also the one who want highest grade for their child.

In conclusion,Teacher and parent may put some pressure on children regarding the education and convince them for not playing in classroom but it is a good thing as the main and primary objective of the children is to learn in classroom instead of playing.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the two-part prompt, though there is a misunderstanding regarding the instruction 'to what extent do you agree with this opinion' coupled with the second question about the importance of play. The writer attempts to take a clear position by stating 'I disagree with this view' regarding the need for play, yet the reasoning focuses heavily on academic competition and children's limited energy. While main ideas are presented, they are somewhat repetitive and under-developed, particularly in the second paragraph where the assertion that young children get exhausted easily is stated without effective support or elaboration. Furthermore, the argument occasionally contradicts itself or lacks clarity regarding the primary focus of schooling. Overall, the response meets the basic requirements of addressing the task, but the development of ideas aligns more closely with a Band 5.5 descriptor.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay displays a basic structural organization with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. However, the logical progression is frequently disrupted by awkward transitions and confusing sentence constructions, such as 'Play while learn method is only effective...' and the abrupt shift regarding peer pressure in the third paragraph. Cohesive devices are sometimes mechanical or misused, and referencing is occasionally unclear (e.g., 'they are also the one who want highest grade'). Paragraphing is attempted, but the grouping of ideas lacks smooth internal cohesion, leading to an overall arrangement that feels disjointed in places. These features place the response firmly in the Band 5.0 range for Coherence and Cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is generally basic and repetitive, utilizing common words like 'children', 'learning', 'school', and 'play' frequently throughout the text. There are several noticeable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'young children mental capacity and physical capabilities is very less' and 'more stronger'. Attempts to use less common or academic vocabulary, such as 'institutions', 'competition', and 'development', often contain spelling or morphological mistakes (e.g., 'developmen', 'Teacher and parent'). While the language is minimally adequate to convey the general topic, the restricted range and frequent inaccuracies constrain the score to a Band 5.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but control over complex structures is weak. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the response, particularly involving subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'it become quite common', 'capacity and capabilities is very less', 'parent or a guardian plays') and incorrect comparative forms ('more stronger'). Punctuation and article usage are also inconsistent, which can occasionally cause difficulty for the reader. Although the meaning remains decipherable despite the errors, the high frequency of basic grammatical inaccuracies prevents the response from reaching a higher band, making Band 5.0 an accurate reflection of the current control.

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

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