Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-01

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 5.0)

Primary School is from Grade1 to Grade 5 students. In my perspective, the argument of people on that statement is right. I totally agree with this. For instance, I have seen students going to their institutes with their full of bags and in very unhappy mood.

First of all, there is a burden of books on students in this age, including the curriculum. Due to this overwhelming curriculum teachers are also pressurized to complete their task.

Furthermore, I will say that if the students will be taught by different practical or physical activities there learning will be improved.

Some people argue in that way they said they send their children to school just for learning so they don't want any type of playing activity. They feel that they are paying heavy fess only for their learning.

To conclude the discussion, i must say there must be practical activities and practical learning for students. Curriculum should be planned in such a way that neither there will be more play nor formal learning. Educational activities should be promoted as learning can be enhanced through activities. In this regard, students will come to school happily, get more interest in their studies. In developed countries like UK students have strong basic knowledge this is just because they don't burden the students rather teach them by doing some activities and students feel that they are just playing.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses the prompt only partially. While you state your position that you totally agree, your ideas remain limited and under-developed. For instance, when mentioning the heavy bags and unhappy mood of students, you do not fully extend this point to explain the exact consequences on their wellbeing or learning. Furthermore, you did not fully develop the second part of the prompt regarding how important it is for children to play as well as learn. Additionally, the word count requirement is not met, as the response is under the minimum length of 250 words, which restricts your ability to develop your arguments fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is some basic organisation in your essay, such as attempting to introduce paragraphs and using transitional markers like 'First of all', 'Furthermore', and 'To conclude the discussion'. However, there is no clear overall progression of ideas throughout the text. Cohesive devices are sometimes inaccurate or repetitive, and referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the sudden shift into discussing the UK education system at the very end without smooth linking to the previous points. Paragraphing is also somewhat disjointed, with very short, underdeveloped paragraphs that disrupt the flow of your arguments.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

Your lexical resource is limited but minimally adequate for the task. You use basic vocabulary such as 'full of bags', 'heavy fess', and 'good basic knowledge', alongside noticeable errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'fess' instead of 'fees' and 'there' instead of 'their'. While you attempt some less common vocabulary like 'overwhelming curriculum' and 'practical activities', these attempts often feature awkward collocations or imprecise meanings that cause some difficulty for the reader and prevent you from achieving a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You demonstrate a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying mostly on simple sentences alongside a few faulty attempts at complex sentences. There are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('there learning will be improved', 'neither there will be more play nor formal learning'), missing articles ('in very unhappy mood'), and incorrect preposition usage. These frequent errors can cause difficulty for the reader, though your overall meaning generally remains recoverable.

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

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