Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

Learning is very essential in this modern age. A considerable number of people argue that primary schools emphasize more on formal learning. Personally, I partially agree with this statement. In this essay we will discuss about why primary schools put more emphasis on formal learning rather than combining it with some playful activities.

To commence with the first view that learning is crucial and primary schools are giving more importance to traditional learning rather than combining it with some fascinating activities. Schools often beleive that formal learning in which you have to learn the curriculum is pivotal and it is also vital to develop more seriousness and resposibilty in students.I partially agree with this notion since learning is significant and schools should put more emphasis but they can also apply different startegies seldom so children do not get uninterested.

The critics of the view who say shools just focus on formal learning have this view that children should have been provided with different strategies of learning like teachers should combine playful activities with learning which might result in more engagement of students rather than making them irritated with formal learning. I beleive teachers should apply some other strategies to make children delighted therefore they will learn more quickly because of that. To illustrate this, teachers should sometime arrange some incentives for kids when they perform well it will increase their motivation. But it should done occasionally so that children do not get out of the track.

To sum up, We discussed that Few number of people beleive that schools are emphasizing on formal learning and also we talk about the possible reason why schools are doing that and also I mention some solutions teachers should apply to break this stereotype that schools only offer formal learning.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the two-part prompt by discussing whether primary schools focus too much on formal learning and explaining the importance of play alongside learning. A position is stated in the introduction where the writer mentions that they partially agree. However, the development of ideas is somewhat repetitive and lacks depth, relying on general statements rather than concrete examples or extended arguments. For instance, the mention of incentives lacks specificity. The conclusion also summarizes the discussion accurately according to the writer's perspective, though it includes meta-language about the essay rather than synthesizing the main points. This performance aligns best with Band 5.5 to 6.0 descriptors, comfortably meeting the requirements for Band 6.0 through covering all parts of the task with relevant ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The text is organized into four paragraphs with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion, establishing an overall coherent arrangement. However, referencing and cohesive devices are sometimes mechanical or repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'To commence with' and 'The critics of the view'. Paragraphing is used logically to separate different arguments, but transitions between sentences can feel abrupt. Cohesive devices are present but not always used with complete flexibility. Pronoun referencing is occasionally unclear, such as 'it will increase their motivation' where the exact antecedent is slightly blurred. These features reflect Band 6 performance, where cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical, yet logical progression is maintained.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The writer attempts a range of vocabulary appropriate for the academic context, using words such as 'emphasize', 'curriculum', 'pivotal', and 'strategy'. However, there are noticeable spelling and word choice errors throughout the text, including 'beleive' instead of 'believe', 'resposibilty' instead of 'responsibility', 'startegies' instead of 'strategies', and 'sometime' instead of 'sometimes'. Despite these inaccuracies, the vocabulary is adequate for the task, and the errors do not impede overall communication. The writer attempts less common lexical items with mixed success, placing this response firmly in the Band 6 category for lexical resource.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and conditional structures. However, there are frequent grammatical and punctuation errors that affect accuracy. Examples include 'primary schools emphasize more on formal learning' (unnecessary preposition 'more on'), 'children should have been provided' (incorrect modal structure for the intended meaning), and 'it should done occasionally' (missing auxiliary verb). Punctuation issues are also present, such as missing spaces after periods and unnecessary comma splices. While complex sentences are attempted, they are often somewhat faulty. Communication is rarely impeded, leading to an overall score of 5.5 for grammatical range and accuracy.

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