Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Some people argue that primary schools focus too much on formal learning nowadays but I beleive children should spend time in extra-curricular activities and playing as well as learning in their school. I strongly agree with the opinion that primary schools focus more on studies.

To begin with, some schools tend to ban playing sessions in the classrooms so that students get better results. As they think students focus more on study when they are not allowed to play. In some schools the course content of students are too long and complicated so they didnot have more time for creative and physical activities. For example, in many schools, children spend most of their day attending lessons, completing worksheets, and preparing for examinations, while activities such as games and outdoor play recieves less attention.

On the other hand, I think that childrens should spend time on playing and studying equally. Playing games has several benefits in students life as it helps to develop communication skills, teamwork, creativity and problem- solving skills among students. As a result, it helps children stay motivated and enjoy learning. Furthermore, it prepare students for their future as they can use teamwork and problem solving skills in their future carrers and jobs which they may not learn from books.

In conclusion, I partly agree that some primary schools focus more on classroom learning, assignments and examinations. While academic education is essential, play is equally important because it helps children develop social, creative and problem solving skills. Therefore, primary school should maintain a balance between learning and play.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both the extent of formal learning in primary schools and the importance of play alongside study. The writer states a clear position in the introduction and conclusion, though the opening statement contains a slight contradiction by saying 'I partly agree' in the conclusion after saying 'I strongly agree' in the first paragraph. Main ideas are supported with relevant explanations and examples, such as how excessive workloads leave little time for creative activities. However, some arguments could be extended further to achieve a higher band score, and the internal contradiction regarding the stance slightly weakens task response consistency. Overall, it satisfies the requirements for a Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is generally coherent with a logical overarching progression. It features a standard four-paragraph structure with an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Transitional markers such as 'To begin with', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader through the arguments. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. However, cohesion can feel somewhat mechanical at times, and referencing is occasionally imprecise, such as the pronoun use in 'As they think students focus more on study'. The logical flow between sentences could be smoothed out for a higher band, but the overall arrangement supports the communicative purpose, fitting a Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms related to education and child development such as 'extra-curricular activities', 'course content', 'communication skills', and 'problem-solving skills'. There are, however, several lexical errors and spelling mistakes throughout the text, including 'beleive', 'didnot', 'recieves', 'childrens', and 'carrers'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with limited success, and collocation is sometimes awkward, such as 'spend time on playing'. These errors do not impede communication, but they prevent the response from achieving a Band 7.0. Therefore, a Band 6.0 is appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writing demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, featuring subordinate clauses and participial phrases, such as 'while activities such as games and outdoor play recieves less attention' and 'as it helps to develop communication skills'. There are several grammatical and punctuation errors present, including subject-verb agreement issues like 'play recieves' and tense inconsistencies like 'didnot have'. Despite these recurring errors, the meaning remains clear and communication is rarely impeded. The control over grammar is typical of a Band 6.0 performance, where a mix of accurate and flawed structures is evident.

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

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