Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-05

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 believe that primary schools pay a lot of attention to formal learning rather than playing. Although there should be an equal distribution of attention for playing and studying, I agree with this viewpoint, as primary schools focus a lot on professional learning that eventually boosts the self-esteem and increases the overall academic performance of the student.

In classrooms, teachers try thier best to teach the easy as well as advanced topics to students as they are trained and more experienced. Teachers assign homeworks, and assignments that eventually help students with their daily practice in order to track progress, score better and also to figure out their weak areas. In order to teach complex subjects, teachers make creative ways such as classroom discussions or debates which help students to learn effectively in a light-weighted manner. For example, students who don't practice advanced maths questions daily and revise the topics, they might gain lower scores in their exams. It is also important to pay attention on learning the concept from its foundation which eventually strenghten the overall concept of a subject. Formal learning plays a crucial role in achieving this aspect as they are more focused on teaching.

However, in some schools, students are under pressure due to workload and sometimes also because of peer presseure. In such scenarios, well maintained balance between study and play will help them to reduce stress and provide a sense of relief. For instance, students might gain less practical knowledge if they are focused too much on the theoritical aspects. Hence, a well-equipped balance between both is necessary for the overall growth of the pupil. In my opinion, litle pressure is required for students as it helps them to achive their goal and handle difficult situations effectively. However, it should not be in much extent that the student feels stressful and isolated from the practical world.

In summary, fomral learning is a significant factor of the primary schools. I agree with this opinion as it helps students to build confidence and gain higher scores. However, a balanced mixture between study and play is beneficial to the overall growth of the student.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing formal learning, sharing a clear position, and considering the importance of play in primary schools. However, some ideas are more fully developed than others. For example, while the benefits of formal learning and homework are explained, the discussion regarding peer pressure and stress is somewhat generalized and lacks detailed support. The position remains clear throughout, but deeper exploration of the second part of the prompt—regarding how important play is—would elevate this section. The student covers the task adequately overall, satisfying the main requirements with relevant supporting examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear central topic in each paragraph. Logical organization is evident through the use of standard paragraphing, beginning with an introduction, body paragraphs addressing both sides, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are employed, such as 'However,' 'For instance,' and 'In summary,' though some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. Referencing is generally clear, but occasional referencing links, such as 'as they are more focused,' create minor ambiguities regarding whether 'they' refers to subjects or teaching methods. Overall progression is maintained, but smoother cohesive integration would strengthen the flow between sentences.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully conveying the intended meaning. The writer attempts some less-common vocabulary, such as 'professional learning,' 'foundation,' and 'practical knowledge,' but these are sometimes used with slight inaccuracies in word choice or collocation. There are also several spelling and typographical errors present in the text, such as 'thier,' 'homeworks' (used as an uncountable noun), 'light-weighted,' 'theoritical,' 'litle,' 'achive,' and 'fomral.' While these errors do not seriously impede communication, they highlight the need for greater precision and care in spelling and lexical selection.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The writer demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing structures such as conditional and subordinate clauses successfully in places (e.g., 'Although there should be an equal distribution...'). There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, including articles ('pay a lot of attention to formal learning'), prepositions ('attention on learning'), and subject-verb agreement or redundancy (e.g., 'to much extent'). However, these errors rarely impede communication and the meaning remains clear. Punctuation is generally handled well, though commas are occasionally misused or omitted in complex sentences. A greater variety of error-free complex structures would help push this criterion further.

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.