Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-30

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)

I strongly agree that primary schools often overemphasize formal learning, and I believe incorporating play into the classroom is vital for a child's holistic growth. While structured education provides the foundational skills necessary for academic advancement, a primary school curriculum that focuses exclusively on desk-bound lessons risks stifling a child's natural development.

Formal education traditionally prioritizes literacy and numeracy through repetitive worksheets and strict testing. When this becomes the sole focus, young children frequently experience academic burnout and anxiety. In contrast, play is not merely a break from learning; it is a powerful vehicle for it. Through structured play, children develop essential social skills such as negotiation, empathy, and conflict resolution when they share toys or collaborate on group games.

Furthermore, play stimulates cognitive development and problem-solving in ways that traditional textbooks cannot. For example, when children build structures with blocks, they are practically exploring complex concepts of physics, balance, and geometry. Role-playing games, like pretending to run a grocery store, simultaneously build communication skills and practical math abilities. These interactive experiences foster a lifelong love for learning by making education engaging rather than stressful.

Ultimately, primary schools must move away from rigid, purely formal structures and adopt a more balanced approach. Integrating play alongside traditional subjects ensures that children grow into creative, emotionally resilient, and academically competent individuals.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The candidate has addressed both parts of the prompt directly: they stated a strong position on formal learning in primary schools and explained how important play is in the classroom. The position is clear throughout the essay. Ideas are extended and supported with relevant examples, such as building with blocks for physics or role-playing to build math skills. However, as noted in the length check, the response contains 219 words, falling short of the 250-word minimum requirement. This negative constraint violation restricts the score for Task Achievement, preventing it from reaching a Band 7.0, despite the strong content development. Therefore, a score of 6.0 is awarded to reflect the incomplete length penalty while acknowledging the solid task coverage.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a clear overall arrangement and logical progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, moving smoothly from the introduction to the drawbacks of formal learning, the benefits of play, and a concluding summary. Cohesive devices are used effectively and naturally, such as 'In contrast,' 'Furthermore,' and 'Ultimately.' Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, with each main point housed in its own well-structured paragraph. Reference pronouns like 'this' and 'these interactive experiences' are clear and follow logically from preceding clauses, ensuring the reader easily tracks the flow of argumentation.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student exhibits an adequate to wide range of vocabulary appropriate for an academic discussion on education. Words and phrases such as 'overemphasize,' 'holistic growth,' 'academic burnout,' 'cognitive development,' and 'emotionally resilient' demonstrate a good command of less common lexical items. Word choice is generally precise, and collocations are used correctly. There are very few spelling or word-choice errors, and the vocabulary certainly does not impede communication. With a slightly higher word count and a few more advanced idiomatic or nuanced academic expressions, this could easily reach the higher bands, but it solidly sits at a Band 7.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The essay displays a good variety of complex sentence structures used with strong accuracy. The writer successfully employs subordinate clauses, participial phrases, and conditional-style constructions, such as 'While structured education provides the foundational skills...' and 'When this becomes the sole focus, young children frequently experience...'. The majority of sentences are error-free, and grammatical control over punctuation and tense agreement is consistently well maintained. Errors are virtually non-existent, making this a strong performance that fully meets the criteria for Band 7.0 in grammatical range and accuracy.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.