Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-23

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)

In recent years, so many advancements have taken place in education system while some individuals complain about the primary school of being so focused on formal education that children get no time spared for extra circular activities.I partially agree with the statement because the children nowadays look so stressed due to lack of fun and extra work load.

Primary schools must include activities to freshen the students alongside with education. It helps students to get motivated for studies and also allow them to stay physically fit and active. Through extra circular activities, students get a chance to show their hidden skills to their fellows. For example; a school must schedule a special sports period for students to tell them that physical activity is as much important as studies.

However, learning is the most important thing to take account for in primary schools.Schools must focus on students who struggle to learn to know the reason behind. A special practice is to teach students through creative games and colours so the students will better engage with you. An example is of rubic cube that help students to learn about colours and also let them enjoy the game.

At the end, i think it is very important for students to do both learn and play in the schools and schools should must adapt special strategies that should keep students physically and mentally fit and motivated without compromising on their learning objectives. Through this, we can build a wealthy society based on healthy minds.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the two-part prompt. The writer presents a clear partial agreement regarding formal learning and highlights the importance of play and extra-curricular activities. Ideas are generally relevant, such as mentioning physical fitness and motivation, and examples are provided, such as sports periods and learning through colours. However, some ideas remain slightly under-developed; for instance, the exploration of formal learning strategies could be expanded with deeper reasoning. The position is maintained throughout, fitting the Band 6 profile well where all parts of the task are addressed, though certain areas require further extension and depth.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay is divided into four paragraphs, which provides a basic organisational structure. There is an overarching progression, moving from the introduction and partial agreement to the benefits of play, the necessity of formal learning, and a concluding summary. However, cohesive devices are sometimes mechanical or awkwardly handled, such as 'At the end, i think', and referencing can be unclear. Paragraphing is attempted, but internal cohesion within paragraphs occasionally lacks smooth transitions between sentences. This demonstrates the characteristics of Band 6, where the arrangement is coherent overall, but cohesion is sometimes faulty.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms such as 'advancements', 'extra-curricular activities', 'physically fit and active', and 'learning objectives'. There are some noticeable vocabulary and spelling errors, such as 'extra circular' instead of 'extra-curricular', 'work load' written as two words, and 'rubic cube' instead of 'Rubik's cube'. Word choice is sometimes slightly unnatural, but the meaning remains clear throughout. Because the student attempts less common vocabulary with some inaccuracies that do not impede communication, a Band 6 score is appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'Primary schools must include activities to freshen the students alongside with education.' There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasing choices, including 'so many advancements have taken place in education system', 'the primary school of being so focused', and 'schools should must adapt'. Punctuation is occasionally flawed, such as missing capitalisation for the pronoun 'i' and minor comma splices. While errors are frequent, they rarely impede communication, aligning well with the descriptors for Band 6.

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

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