Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-22

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)

The former president of the US has rightly said, "The philosophy of school room in one generation will be the philosphy of governmnet in the next generation." Therefore, I strongly believe that primary school should not focus too much on formal learning. In the following paragraph, light will be shed on that primary schools do not focus too much on formal learning.

To begin with, primary schools, in this technological world, do not focus too much on formal learning. Formal learning means to assign homework to a student, take regular tests, and at the end of a year, announce results. However, this is not the way of teaching anymore neither in developed countries nor in developing countries.

Schools, at primary level, mostly focus on extracurricular activities and through such activities, they teach their students. For instance, students are asked to count beats so that they may develop the understanding about numbers.

Similarly, focusing on sounds of alphabets enables students to memorize the shapes of aphabets. Thus, schools are no longer using out-dated teaching techniques like crammimg.

Moving forward, it is extremely important for children to play as well as learn in the primary school classroom. The reason is having fun while stuyding sharpens critical skill of children. For instance, asking a student to solve a puzzle show how much focused he/she is. Similarly, conducting judo classes is a way to test how strong a student is in physical activities.

Furthermore, when stuents are asked to work in a group, it depicts how good they are at leadership. Therefore, it is said that classrooms are more than four-built walls; leaning and playing go hand in hand.

Hence, when children play and study, it becomes easy for them to unlock their hidden potential and talent. Thus, it is pertinent for children to play as well as learn in the primary school classroom.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both parts of the two-part prompt: whether primary schools focus too much on formal learning, and the importance of play alongside learning. A clear position is maintained throughout the essay. However, the development of ideas suffers from a contradiction in the writer's argument. In the introduction, the writer states, 'primary school should not focus too much on formal learning,' and claims in the body paragraph that schools 'do not focus too much on formal learning.' This overlooks the nuanced reality of modern primary education. Nevertheless, the response contains relevant ideas and supporting examples, such as counting beats and working in groups. Because all parts of the prompt are addressed with a clear position and supporting examples, the response satisfies the criteria for Band 6.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a logical progression of ideas. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different points, such as the discussion on teaching methods versus the importance of play. Cohesive devices are employed to link ideas, with phrases like 'To begin with,' 'Moving forward,' and 'Hence' guiding the reader through the text. However, referencing is occasionally imprecise, and some transitional phrases feel mechanical or awkward, such as 'In the following paragraph, light will be shed on that...' Overall, the logical structure and clear paragraphing support the flow of information, aligning well with the descriptors for Band 6.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common items such as 'extracurricular activities', 'technological world', and 'hidden potential'. However, there are notable spelling errors and inaccurate word choices throughout the text, including 'philosphy', 'governmnet', 'out-dated', 'crammimg', 'stuyding', and 'leaning'. These lexical inaccuracies and spelling slips prevent the vocabulary from reaching a higher band. While the meaning is generally clear and communication is not impeded, the frequency of errors places this response firmly at Band 6.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and conditional structures, such as 'students are asked to count beats so that they may develop the understanding about numbers.' There are, however, several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings present, including 'neither in developed countries nor in developing countries' missing a preceding negative clause, and subject-verb agreement issues like 'puzzle show'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, and the errors do not impede overall communication. Because there is a mix of simple and complex structures alongside persistent minor errors, the grammar aligns with Band 6.

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

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