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)

Academic education and outdoor activities go hand in hand for making children ready for their adult life. It is believed that schools pressure students to concentrate more on structured education. I partly agree with this notion because performing physical and creative activities outside the classroom are also crucial for children's well-being.

One key factor for this stance is that formal education is beneficial for every student because it enable them to acquire knowledge of certain field. Excellent performance in academics makes students eligible for various prestigious designations. Children are more keen towards learning new lessons, so offering professional and systemic education during school years develops a sense of responsibility in childhood. Moreover, several professions require full-time focus on curriculum in order to become an expert such as, medicine, engineering, etc.

On the other hand, sports are as beneficial for kids as their curriculum. Owing to the fact that play makes children physically active and psychologically more confident. They learn to cope with challenging circumstances by taking part in different outdoor or indoor games. Furthermore, working in a team boosts their self-esteem and confidence. Communication is a key skill that can only be learnt by interacting with people from different backgrouns and participating in sports and quiz competitions is the only best way to improve these useful skils.

In concluson, formal education is fruitful for making a person eligible for competitive examinations. Participating in playing activities also critical for children. Schools should encourage kids to explore their talents outside the class; however, academic performace cannot be ignored.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both the extent of agreement regarding formal learning and the importance of play in primary schools. The writer takes a clear position in the introduction, stating 'I partly agree with this notion because performing physical and creative activities outside the classroom are also crucial'. The ideas are relevant and supported with explanations regarding career preparation and social skills. However, some parts lack full extension; for instance, the assertion that quiz competitions are 'the only best way to improve these useful skils' is an overgeneralisation. Overall, the task is addressed adequately, fitting the criteria for Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay is coherent overall with a clear logical arrangement into four distinct paragraphs. Each paragraph has a recognisable focus, moving from an introduction to academic arguments, then to the benefits of play, and concluding with a summary. Cohesive devices are used to signal transitions, such as 'One key factor', 'On the other hand', and 'In concluson' (note the spelling typo). However, referencing and cohesion are sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, such as starting a sentence with 'Owing to the fact that play makes children physically active and psychologically more confident', which results in a sentence fragment. Paragraphing is used appropriately throughout.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common items such as 'structured education', 'prestigious designations', and 'psychologically more confident'. However, there are several word choice, collocation, and spelling errors that affect precision, including 'backgrouns' instead of backgrounds, 'skils' instead of skills, 'concluson' instead of conclusion, and 'performace' instead of performance. Furthermore, phrases like 'keen towards learning' and 'playing activities' are slightly unnatural compared to standard collocations like 'keen on learning' and 'play-based activities'. Despite these errors, meaning is generally clear, placing the vocabulary in the Band 6.0 category.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms. The writer attempts various complex structures, such as relative clauses and subordinate clauses (e.g., 'Communication is a key skill that can only be learnt by interacting...'). However, there are notable grammatical errors and control issues. For example, 'because it enable them' has a subject-verb agreement error, and 'performing physical and creative activities... are also crucial' mismatches the plural gerund phrase with the plural verb in a slightly awkward way. Additionally, the sentence starting with 'Owing to the fact that...' is a fragment lacking a main clause. Punctuation and minor slips persist, but communication is rarely impeded, warranting a Band 6.0 score.

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