Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-29

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)

Certain individuals believe that primary academics concentrate excessively on formal learning and do not provide enough time to play. I strongly agree with this statement because young children need a balance between education and play in order to develop both intellectually and physically.

Formal education is more important at the primary level. Children need to acquire fundamental skills such as reading, writing and basic mathematics, which form the foundation for their future education. However, an excessive focus on these subjects can make learning stressful and less enjoyable for young children. If students spend most of their school day completing exercises, memorising information and preparing for tests, they may have fewer opportunities to develop physical strength and independence. For instance, some popular schools mainly merit students focus on academic learning rather than playing to maintain the physical fitness.

Play is equally important because it can support several aspects of a child's development. Through games and other playful activities, children can learn how to communicate, creativity and problem-solving skills. For example, educational games can encourage students to develop their personality while also helping them understand academic concepts. Physical play is also beneficial because it allows children to remain active and can improve their concentration when they return to academic tasks.

In conclusion, although formal learning is essential in primary education, I believe that excessive academic pressure can be inappropriate for young children. Providing precise balance for play along with classroom learning is important for their academic boost and personal behaviour development.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt well, giving an opinion on formal learning in primary schools and discussing the importance of play. The student maintains a clear position throughout, supported by relevant ideas such as the need for basic skills balanced against the risks of excessive stress and academic pressure. However, the development of ideas is slightly constrained by length limitations. Most importantly, the response falls short of the required 250 words, containing 249 words. This means a minor penalty must be applied to Task Achievement for under-length, bringing the score down to a 6.0, as some aspects of idea expansion are curtailed by the word count constraint.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a logical progression of ideas. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs dealing with formal learning and play respectively, and a concise conclusion. Cohesive devices are generally well managed, using transitional phrases such as 'However', 'For instance', and 'In conclusion' to guide the reader through the argument. Referencing is mostly clear, though occasional mechanical transitions prevent the response from achieving a higher band. Overall, the organizational structure is sound and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate to sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common items such as 'fundamental skills', 'excessive pressure', and 'intellectually and physically'. However, there are some noticeable inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'primary academics' instead of 'primary schools', and 'main merit students focus' which is unidiomatic and confusing. Additionally, there is a grammatical form error in 'learn how to communicate, creativity and problem-solving skills' where parallel structure is broken. Despite these lexical and stylistic slips, communication is not impeded.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over conditional and subordinate structures, such as 'If students spend most of their school day..., they may have fewer opportunities...'. There are several instances of good grammar, but a few errors persist, including the aforementioned awkward phrasing ('primary academics') and minor collocation or word-form inaccuracies. Punctuation is generally correct, and sentences are mostly structured well enough that meaning is clear throughout, aligning closely with the Band 6 descriptors for grammar.

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