Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-18

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)

Many people believe that formal learning is considerable in primary schools. I agree with this view because learn lessons through playing has valuable impacts on children and develop interests in studies.

Admittedly, playing activities in classroom play a vital role in children learning. It encourages them to learn new skills through playing different learning games. For example, in Japan, numerous interesting games has played for education purpose in classroom. It help to aquire knowledge and build confidence in students.

Additionally, due to advanced technology, many electronic devices such as Tablets and LED in classrrom. Teachers often teach the students through videos which display on LED. Consequently, informative video with joyful sound develop interest in learners towards studies. As a result, formal learning is more significant than traditional learning.

Furthermore, learning and play both are crucial for children in classroom. For example, several classroom activities, such as playing sit stand and chair crossing games are most popular in Pakistan. These type of games carried out many benefits in children life. They are helping each other, learn more practical skills. Communication skills and partnership qualities are also improved via playing games. Therefore, playing and learning is very important for students in classroom.

In conclusion, although primary schooling considering formal learning, I believe that playing activities in classroom is crucial as well as learning. Play build confidence in students and develop patience, discipline and unity. Communication skills and partnership skills also developed in students. They learn helping each other and dealing with different individuals.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The student addresses all parts of the two-part prompt, acknowledging the debate surrounding formal learning and explaining both agreement and the importance of play. A position is presented, stating that while formal learning is important, play is also crucial. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited and repetitive. For instance, the discussion of Japan uses a very brief and generalized example ("numerous interesting games has played for education purpose"), and the body paragraphs tend to rehash similar points regarding confidence, communication, and discipline rather than extending them with deep, varied arguments. This places the response comfortably at Band 5.0, where ideas are present and address the prompt, but remain somewhat under-developed and superficial throughout the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response features basic organizational structure with clear paragraphing, including an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. However, overall progression is hindered by repetitive phrasing and a lack of smooth cohesive devices. The writer attempts transitions such as "Additionally", "Consequently", and "Furthermore", but these are frequently misused or mechanically applied, failing to create a seamless logical flow between sentences. For example, the leap from electronic devices to formal learning being more significant lacks clear logical bridging. Additionally, referencing is occasionally unclear, such as "These type of games carried out many benefits in children life." Consequently, the coherence aligns with Band 5.0 due to the presence of some organization offset by inadequate and repetitive cohesive devices.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The student demonstrates a limited but minimally adequate vocabulary range suitable for addressing the topic. Words such as "concentration", "confidence", "discipline", and "communication skills" appear, but vocabulary is heavily recycled throughout the essay. There are frequent word choice and collocation errors, such as "learn lessons through playing has valuable impacts", "for education purpose", and "aquire knowledge" (spelled with a missing 'c'). More advanced or less common lexical items are attempted with noticeable inaccuracy. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the general message, these errors and the restricted range prevent the writing from achieving a higher band, reflecting a solid Band 5.0 performance.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The grammatical range is limited, featuring a mix of simple sentences and flawed attempts at complex structures. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text that cause difficulty for the reader. Examples of errors include subject-verb agreement issues ("numerous interesting games has played", "play build confidence"), missing articles ("in classroom"), and incorrect prepositional usage or word forms ("These type of games", "They are helping each other, learn more practical skills"). The frequent errors in basic and intermediate structures mean that error-free sentences are the minority rather than the majority, which is characteristic of a Band 5.0 score for grammatical accuracy.

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

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