Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-19

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)

Some people argue that primary school emphasis on formal learning and do not provide children with enough opportunity to play. I agree with this view because, acadmic learning is important but play is also essential for children's social,emotional and cognitve development.

Formal education provides children with fundamental skills such as reading, writing and mathematics .These skills are necessary for thier future education and everyday life. However, if young children spend most of their school day completing exercises and memorising information, they become bored and lose motivation to learn. For instance, spending several hours sitting in a classrom maybe less effective for young children than combining lessons with practical and enjoyable activities.

In my view, play is equally important in a primary school classrooms . Firstly, it helps children develop social skills. When children play together they learn how to cooprate, communicate, share and solve dissagreements. Secndly play can improve creativity and problem solving skills. For instance, activities such as drawing, role playing, or educational games allow children to explore ideas and find solutions independently. Physical play help children remain active and reduces stress, which may allow them to concentrate on formal learning.

But this does not mean that formal learning should be reduced significantly. schools should maintain blnace betwwen both play and academic learning. Teacher's can combine both approaches by using eduational games or group activities,experiments and outdoor learning. In this way children can develop important knowledge while also enjoyig their school experiences.

In conclusion, formal learning is essential for children, but play should not be considered as a waste of time.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt, agreeing with the premise that primary schools focus too much on formal learning and discussing the importance of play alongside study. The position is clear throughout the text. Main ideas are presented, such as the need for fundamental skills balanced with the emotional and cognitive benefits of play, and supported with reasons like social skill development and creativity. However, some ideas remain slightly under-developed; for instance, the point regarding physical play reducing stress is introduced but not fully expanded with a concrete example. Overall, the content aligns well with the requirements for a Band 6.5 or 7, covering all parts with relevant ideas, though further extension of the examples would strengthen the development.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear logical progression from introducing the stance, discussing formal education, examining the benefits of play, to suggesting a balanced approach in conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct themes. Cohesive devices are employed to link ideas, such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'However', though referencing is sometimes slightly faulty or mechanical. For example, the transition between paragraphs could be smoother, and minor punctuation or spacing errors occasionally disrupt the flow. Nevertheless, the progression of ideas is easy to follow, supporting a solid Band 6 performance.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items related to education and child development, such as 'fundamental skills', 'memorising information', and 'problem solving skills'. However, there are noticeable spelling errors throughout the response, including 'acadmic', 'thier', 'classrom', 'cooprate', 'dissagreements', 'Secndly', 'blnace', 'betwwen', 'Teacher's', 'eduational', and 'enjoyig'. While these errors do not severely impede communication, their frequency prevents the lexical score from reaching higher bands, as accurate spelling and word choice are key criteria for Band 7 and above. The vocabulary range is sufficient for communication, fitting the Band 6 descriptor well.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response incorporates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts at subordination and varied structures, such as conditional ideas and relative clauses. There are several grammatical and punctuation errors present, including missing articles, incorrect pluralisation, and punctuation misplacements, such as 'primary school emphasis on formal learning', 'a primary school classrooms', and 'Physical play help children'. Despite these errors, the meaning remains generally clear and communication is rarely impeded. The control over grammar is adequate for basic communication and complex attempts, reflecting the characteristics of a Band 6 score.

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

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