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)

It is often argued that primary school focus too much on formal learning and do not give their children enough time to play. I Partly agree with this view because academic education is important, but playing is also as necessary for their childrens development.

On the one hand, formal learning is essential in primary education. Children can learn and develop their basic skills like reading, writting, solving mathematic problems, which proved them foundation for their future studies. However, if students mostly spend their time in classrooms, completing exercise and memorising information, this will make them bored and lose interest in studies. Young children have shorter attention spans, so studying continuously may not always be effective method to teach.

On the other hand, Playing is extremely important for the childrens development. Through games and Physical activities children can develop their communication skills, improve their health and coordination skills. Playing with classmates also help them to cooperate and follow rules. Moreover, teacher can combine playing with their academic learning. For example, mathematic games and spelling competitions can help students learn as well enjoying while learning.This can make lessons more interesting and help students to participate actively.

In My opinion, formal education should not replaced by playing. children still need structured lessoner to develop their academic knowledge. Therefore schools should maintain maintain balance between playing and studying.

In my conclusion, I partly agree that Primary school can place too much focus on formal learning. Although, academic studies are necessary, playing is valuable because it supports physical, emotional and social development.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, expressing a clear position regarding the balance between formal learning and play in primary schools. The student considers both sides of the argument and directly answers the question about the importance of play alongside learning. Ideas are extended with relevant examples, such as mathematical games and spelling competitions. However, some arguments remain slightly underdeveloped and lean towards generalisations, fitting the Band 6.5 descriptor well. The overall response successfully covers the prompt's requirements with a relevant stance maintained throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay presents a clear overall arrangement with logical progression from introduction to body paragraphs and conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with distinct sections for formal learning and playing. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'Moreover' are utilised to guide the reader through the arguments. However, referencing is occasionally imprecise (e.g., 'their childrens development' with punctuation missing), and cohesive links can feel somewhat mechanical at times. Overall, the organizational structure is clear, aligning comfortably with a Band 6.5 or solid Band 6 performance.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student displays an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms like 'coordination skills', 'attention spans', and 'participate actively'. There are, however, noticeable word choice and spelling errors throughout the text, such as 'writting' instead of 'writing', 'mathematic' instead of 'mathematics', and 'lessoner' instead of 'lessons'. While these errors do not impede overall communication, they prevent the lexical score from reaching Band 7. The vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey the intended meaning, matching Band 6 descriptors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over conditional and subordinate clauses (e.g., 'However, if students mostly spend their time in classrooms... this will make them bored'). There are, nevertheless, frequent grammatical errors, such as missing articles ('Primary school can place', 'teacher can combine'), apostrophe omission ('childrens' instead of 'children's'), and verb form issues ('should not replaced'). These errors indicate a lack of thorough proofreading, though they rarely impede comprehension. This balance of mixed structures and persistent errors points directly to a Band 6 score.

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