Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-03

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)

Some people argue that primary schools emphasis on formal learning. I partly believe with this view because education is also essential for children's future but I believe that play also and important topic in classroom.

On the other hand, formal learning is necessary for young children because primary school is where they develop basic academic skills. Reading, writing and mathematics provide a strong foundation for their future studies. For example, children who develop good reading skills in early age they can understand more subject easily. In addition, learning a structed environment can help them to manage time, follow instruction and complete task. Therefor, academic learning should be an important part of primary schools.

On the other hand, playing is also an important for children's overall development. Games and other activities like cricket, volleyball, basketball, football etc. Can help them to improve communicated, teamwork and problem solving skills . For instance, a teacher could use a group name to teach them mathematics or vocabulary. This allows children to learn in enjoyable way. Furthermore, young children can disturb focus or lose concentration while studying long hours a day. Short activate or games make their lesson more instructing and helped them to stay focused.

In my opinion, primary schools therefor find a balance solution between playing and academic both. Academic is necessary to children's but playing is also a important part of them. This thing can improve their social and practical skills both. A combination of play and primary school make study more effective and enjoyable.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.0
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall6.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt, discussing both the extent of agreement regarding formal learning and the importance of play in the classroom. The position is generally clear throughout, and relevant ideas are presented, such as the foundational role of academic skills and the developmental benefits of games. However, some ideas are under-developed or lack sufficient extension. For instance, the point about group names for teaching mathematics is only briefly mentioned without thorough explanation. To reach a higher level, the writer needs to fully develop all parts of the task with more extended reasoning and fully supported examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement and follows a logical paragraph structure, tackling the introduction, body points, and conclusion distinctly. Cohesive devices are used to signal shifts, such as "On the other hand," though this phrase is mistakenly repeated for both body paragraphs instead of contrasting them properly. Referencing is sometimes unclear, and some transitions feel mechanical. To achieve a higher score, the writer should employ a wider and more accurate range of cohesive markers and ensure logical progression is maintained smoothly between sentences and paragraphs without repetitive linking phrases.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student displays an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common terms such as "foundation," "development," and "combination." However, there are noticeable vocabulary and spelling inaccuracies that occur throughout the text, such as "emphasis" instead of "emphasise," "structed" instead of "structured," "Therefor" instead of "Therefore," "communicated" instead of "communication," and "activate" instead of "activities." These word choice and spelling errors do not completely impede communication, but they prevent the response from achieving a higher lexical band. Expanding precision in word formation and collocation will significantly improve this area.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting structures like conditional clauses and relative pronouns. However, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation, including subject-verb agreement issues ("play also and important topic"), incorrect prepositional use ("believe with this view"), and faulty article usage ("in early age"). While these errors rarely impede overall communication, they demonstrate a lack of firm control over complex grammatical patterns. To move higher, the writer must produce a greater proportion of error-free sentences and refine control over basic agreements, verb forms, and sentence structures.

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.