Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-24

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 6.5)

Although formal learning in primary schools is greatly essential for children, there are other aspects that need to be focused on as well.

Admittedly, formal academic learning is necessary for a child to successfully pass on to the next grade. The academic foundation needs to be strong enough for the child to have clear concepts relevant to their grade in order to be eligible to pass tests and exams.

However, formal learning should not be the sole purpose of primary schools.

Play-time is equally important for the growth of a child for several reasons. First and foremost, playing with other children their age, they practically learn different concepts and skills in life which are appropriate to their age. For example, a student when plays with their classmates, they learn how to share the crayons their mother bought for them, which in future will turn into healthy personality traits like generosity. Playing with their mates also enhances their social skills. Students not only interact freely with their fellows during play-time, but also learn social concepts like trust, friendship, and helpfulness.

Moreover, play-time in school boosts relaxation in young students. Relaxation is mainly essential for them to build a positive association. Having fun in school will directly result in them liking the space and wanting to come back the next day. In addition to that, play-time including physical activity is psychologically proven to refresh the brain resulting in better grades and task fulfilment throughout the year.

In conclusion, academic learning is indeed a very important part of a child's growth but so is playing. Both together can give better outcomes than just one alone.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The student successfully addresses all parts of the two-part prompt. The essay considers the extent of agreement regarding formal learning in primary schools and evaluates the importance of play alongside learning. A clear position is maintained throughout the response, acknowledging the necessity of academic foundations while strongly advocating for play-time. Ideas are extended and supported with relevant explanations and examples, such as learning social skills and sharing crayons. However, some arguments, particularly around relaxation and mental refreshment, tend to over-generalise slightly or could be further developed with deeper psychological or educational context. Overall, the task response is well-rounded and directly answers the prompt requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay displays a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. The structure moves logically from an introduction, through a discussion of formal learning and play-time benefits, to a coherent conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately, separating distinct ideas such as social skills and psychological relaxation. Cohesive devices are employed adequately to connect sentences and paragraphs, using linking words like 'Admittedly', 'However', 'First and foremost', and 'Moreover'. While referencing and cohesion are generally clear, some transitions can feel slightly mechanical or repetitive in structure. Overall, the flow of ideas is easy to follow, meeting the requirements of a Band 7 performance.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate and generally appropriate range of vocabulary for the task. Words and phrases such as 'formal academic learning', 'healthy personality traits', 'social skills', and 'psychologically proven' show a good attempt to discuss education and child development precisely. However, there are minor awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'greatly essential' instead of 'highly essential' or 'crucial', and 'a student when plays with their classmates' which contains minor grammatical interference. Less common lexical items are attempted with some awareness of style, but occasional inaccuracies prevent the score from reaching a higher band. Communication is never impeded.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The writer employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over relative clauses and conditional structures. Examples such as 'Although formal learning in primary schools is greatly essential...' and 'Having fun in school will directly result in them liking the space...' show ambition in sentence construction. There are several minor errors in grammar and punctuation, such as 'passing on to' instead of 'passing into', 'a student when plays with their classmates' which has a redundant subject-verb structure, and awkward prepositional usage ('play-time including physical activity'). Nevertheless, these errors are infrequent and rarely impede communication, allowing the student to secure a solid band 6.5 rating.

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