Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

Many individuals believe that primary schools system give a lot of their focus to just formal education. I am partially agree with this statement, as nowadays schools are giving more focus to practical activities, along with their academic tasks. I think it is very crucial for the children to have some kind of extra curricullum activities because with this students feel refreshed and give more concentration to their studies. This essay will examine the personal opinion and the importancf of play to children in the schools.

To begin with, primary schools had focused more only on formal learning. However, nowadays they also pay attention to the extra activities also, with the formal studies of the students. In recent yearschools administration and teachers give their attention to students refreshment and their entertainment, in order to keep students interested and concentrated in their studies. For instance, in most schools there is one specific class for the extra activities, in which different children play different kind of indoor and outdoor sports according to their interest. Furthermore, some schools arrange tournaments of different sports, cricket, football etc, with the collaboration of other schools for the purpose of entertainment and enjoyment of students. On the other hand, some underdevelopment and smaller schools with less facilities and arrangement systems, also lack of qualified teachers and less number of students still only rely on formal learning.

Moreover, it is really important and beneficial for the children to play, along with their formal classroom studies. Students can feel more refreshed and also it helps in their grooming. For example, students who take part in some kind of activity within the school, with this they can feel less burden and their minds should be free of the academic pressure and chaos. It also helps in the popularity of the school. For instance, if their is any competition on the different levels, wether that is on the council, tehsil, distric, province or national level. The schools take part in that competition and when one of the school wins that competition, so that institute should be reconised on the on the higher level.

In conclusion, schools are giving much more attention to extra activities nowadays, other than the formal education. It is for the betterment of both the children and school, as with this children feel overwhelmed and the schools become more popular and well-known.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: whether primary schools focus too much on formal learning, and the importance of play in the classroom. The writer takes a clear position ('I am partially agree with this statement') and extends relevant ideas, such as how extracurricular activities refresh students and aid their overall development. However, the development in places becomes slightly repetitive or shifts into peripheral details, such as discussing school popularity and inter-school competitions rather than focusing strictly on the classroom benefits of play. Despite these minor lapses in focus, all parts of the prompt are addressed adequately, placing this response firmly in Band 6.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay has a coherent overall arrangement with clear paragraphing, dividing the introduction, body paragraphs on formal versus play-based learning, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used to connect ideas, such as 'To begin with', 'Moreover', and 'In conclusion'. However, referencing and cohesion are sometimes faulty or mechanical. For instance, phrases like 'with this students feel' and 'with this they can feel less burden' show awkward transitions. Paragraphing is used sufficiently, but logical progression within paragraphs occasionally stumbles due to repetitive phrasing, leading to a Band 6 score.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student attempts a range of vocabulary appropriate for an academic discussion, including terms like 'extracurricular activities', 'academic pressure', and 'recreation'. However, there are noticeable lexical errors and inappropriate word choices, such as 'primary schools system', 'importancf', 'underdevelopment and smaller schools', and 'reconised'. Spelling errors ('extracurricullum', 'wether', 'tehsil', 'distric', 'reconised') occur throughout the response. Because the vocabulary range is adequate for the task but constrained by spelling and word-choice inaccuracies that occasionally distract the reader, a Band 5.5 is appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writer demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting relative clauses and conditional structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include subject-verb and agreement/form issues ('I am partially agree', 'primary schools system give', 'there is any competition... The schools take part'), incorrect preposition use ('focus to just formal education'), and awkward syntactic structures ('their minds should be free of the academic pressure and chaos'). These errors sometimes require the reader to re-read sentences, though communication is not severely impeded. This profile corresponds to a Band 5.0.

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