Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-28

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)

Primary schools are the first academic learning step of a children.Some people believe that primary schools are focusing much on formal learning. I agree with that schools are way more depending on traditional learning.Children needs to play games as well as focusing on traditional classroom learnings.

Primary school plays a vital role in a children growth. Children learns their basic education from school. They also spend lots of time there. Focusing only on formal learning like maths ,science and textbooks may make them tired and frustrating. They need some fun way of learning. For example ,schools can arrange some educational games for them. It can help them learning also in a interesting way.

Playing is also essential for a children. It can make them healthy and cheerful.Playing outdoor games may have great impact on a children growth. For example, if children may get the opportunity of playing , it can remove their boredom and help them focus on classrooms learning.

I belive that schools focus too much on formal learning . They are just focusing to learn childrens textbooks knowledge rather than some practical knowledges. Primary schools may need to change their way of teaching. They can change their teaching by focusing on children behaviour of learning. Schools can also include a particular period of time for playing.

In conclusion primary schools are depending on traditional strategies of teaching. They can include games and a time for playing for children. It may help children to learn in a enjoyable way and also motivates them to focus on classrooms.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the task by expressing a clear position on formal learning in primary schools and discussing the importance of play alongside learning. The ideas presented are relevant, such as how excessive formal learning can make children tired and how play promotes health and engagement. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited and repetitive. For instance, the point about games making learning interesting is repeated across multiple paragraphs without being significantly extended. While all parts of the prompt are addressed, the support remains basic and relies on general assertions rather than deeper elaboration or specific examples. This aligns well with the descriptors for Band 6, where the task is addressed adequately but some ideas remain under-developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction and conclusion, alongside identifiable body paragraphs focusing on distinct sub-topics. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate ideas about formal learning and the benefits of play. However, referencing and logical transitions between sentences are sometimes mechanical or faulty. For example, phrases like 'Primary schools are...' and 'Playing is also...' are repetitive in their structure, and cohesive devices are limited. Pronoun referencing is occasionally unclear, as seen in phrases where nouns and pronouns do not agree seamlessly. Progression is present, but the overall logical flow feels somewhat disjointed due to basic linking strategies. These features correspond directly to Band 6, where cohesion can be faulty or mechanical.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully communicating everyday educational concepts with words like 'academic', 'strategies', 'traditional', and 'educational games'. However, there are noticeable word-form errors and unnatural collocations throughout the text, such as 'learning step of a children', 'classroom learnings', 'children growth', and 'practical knowledges'. Spelling is generally acceptable, but grammatical infelicities in word choices—like using 'frustrating' instead of 'frustrated'—demonstrate limited control over less common lexical items. The vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey the message, but frequent inaccuracies place it firmly at Band 5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response exhibits a mix of simple and some complex sentence forms, attempting structures like conditional clauses ('if children may get the opportunity...') and relative clauses. However, grammatical accuracy is weak, featuring frequent errors such as singular/plural mismatches ('a children', 'children learns', 'textbooks knowledge'), incorrect modal usage ('Children needs'), and awkward tense shifts. Punctuation is also problematic in places, with spacing errors around commas and periods. Although these errors do not completely impede communication and the basic meaning remains understandable, the high frequency of grammatical slips prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. This reflects the criteria for Band 5, where frequent errors in grammar and punctuation can cause difficulty for the reader.

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

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