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)

The education of children in primary school has become a debate. Some people belive that primary education institutes have become too keen soley on the academic education while others are of the opinion that children should be able to play alongside academic education. My agree to the latter opinion. This essay will elaborate upon my opinon with multiple reasons.

Continuous academic learning without other activities dulls down a child. Human brain needs rest in the form of activities other than the task it is continuously occupied doing, if not given, the mind starts to burnout and no attention remains retained. For example, if a child is continously studying and takes a break just to eat and goes back to leaning again the mind hasn't recovered nor has it been refreshed using some other activity. This is why co-curricular activities are just as important as academic learning. These activities freshen the young minds and help them focus better in formal studies.

Human body is built to move especially children. Studies show that human bodies that do not move often tend to spiral in many health problems, lots of them are common today; insulin resistance, anxiety, poor balance, body aches, etc. Children may not face all those problems at once in this age but the foundation may be set at a very young age if their body is not moved enough. For example: if a child spends their entire day on their desk studying and barely moves, their body will get used to staying that way and might not be able to move well or at all. Having physically active tassks may avoid such issues.

In conclusion, some people are of the opinion that primary schools focus too much just on formal education. My firm opinon remains the same. Children that are not encouraged to perform in other activities other than academic learning dull down over time with exhaustion or jump into medical issues if not physically active.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both the extent of formal learning in primary schools and the importance of play alongside learning. The writer takes a clear position in the introduction ('My agree to the latter opinion') and maintains it throughout. Main ideas are presented, such as cognitive burnout and physical health benefits, but they tend to be slightly repetitive and under-developed in places. For instance, the discussion on physical health relies on general assumptions without fully exploring how play specifically benefits classroom learning. Nevertheless, the requirements of the task are met, corresponding to Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas, such as cognitive fatigue in paragraph two and physical health in paragraph three. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical. Phrases like 'This is why' and 'For example' are used adequately, but referencing and logical transitions between sentences can be clunky (e.g., 'if not given, the mind starts to burnout'). Furthermore, lexical repetition across sentences affects the smoothness of progression. Overall, the organizational structure meets the criteria for Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully communicating ideas relating to education and child development, such as 'co-curricular activities', 'cognitive learning', and 'insulin resistance'. However, there are notable spelling errors ('belive' instead of believe, 'soley' instead of solely, 'tassks' instead of tasks) and awkward word choices or collocations, such as 'dulls down a child' and 'jump into medical issues'. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the message, these inaccuracies and spelling mistakes prevent the response from achieving a higher band, placing it firmly at Band 5.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over grammar with complex structures such as conditional clauses ('if a child spends their entire day on their desk studying...'). However, there are frequent grammatical errors and awkward phrasings throughout the text, including 'My agree to the latter opinion', 'Human brain needs rest', and missing articles ('Human body is built to move'). These errors are noticeable and occasionally require the reader to re-read, though they rarely impede overall communication. This performance aligns with Band 5.5.

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

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