Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

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

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 state that primary schools are more focused on formal learning rather than providing children with opportunity to play.I strongly agree with this opinion because young children need a balance between academic learning and extracircular activities for their overall development.

On the other hand, playing is equally important in primary education.Through games and group activities, children can develop communication, teamwork and problem-solving skills.For example, teachers can use puzzles, educational games and outdoor activities to teach basic mathematical concepts.

In my opinion, primary schools should provide a balanced combination of formal lessons and play-based learning.Although academic subjects are neccesary, children should not be expected to study continuously throughout the school day.Teachers can organize short games between lessons and include creative activities such as drawing, story-telling and role-playing.These ,methods can help children more effectively while supporting childrens social and emotional development.Furthermore,playing with classmates allow children to build friendships and develop confidence.

In conclusion, I largely agree that primary schools sometimes place too much emphasis on formal learning.play should be an essential part of classroom education because it helps children develop important life skills while making the learning process more enjoyable.Therefore, schools should give equal attention to acdemic progress and childrens overall wellbeing.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

Your position is clear: you strongly agree that formal learning can receive too much emphasis, and you explain why play matters through social, emotional and practical skills. The examples of puzzles, outdoor activities, drawing and role-playing are relevant, and the response addresses both the extent of your agreement and the importance of play. However, the discussion is brief and some points are asserted rather than fully explained—for instance, you mention confidence and friendships without showing how classroom play develops them. The response also contains 201 words, below the required 250, so there is limited space to develop your reasoning. To strengthen the response, explain one or two examples in more depth and clarify how play complements, rather than replaces, formal learning.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion. The ideas generally progress from the value of play to a proposed balance between lessons and activities, and examples are placed near the points they support. However, the first body paragraph begins with “On the other hand,” even though it does not clearly contrast with the preceding position; this makes the relationship between paragraphs less precise. Some transitions, such as “Furthermore” and “Therefore,” are useful but the linking is somewhat mechanical. There are also missing spaces after full stops and inconsistent punctuation, which interrupt the flow. Use transitions that express the actual relationship between ideas, and connect each paragraph more explicitly to your central argument.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including “play-based learning,” “problem-solving skills,” “social and emotional development” and “overall wellbeing.” These phrases help communicate the main ideas clearly, and the examples show some attempt to use topic-specific language. However, there are several spelling errors, including “extracircular,” “neccesary” and “acdemic,” as well as awkward or imprecise expressions such as “providing children with opportunity to play” and “help children more effectively.” These errors do not prevent understanding, but they reduce precision and control. Check spelling carefully and choose more natural collocations—for example, “provide opportunities for play” and “help children learn more effectively.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a subordinate clause in “Although academic subjects are necessary…” and a reason clause in “because it helps children develop…”. Most ideas remain understandable, and the sentence structures are generally appropriate to the task. Some grammatical and punctuation errors persist, however. In “playing with classmates allow children,” the singular gerund subject requires “allows”; “children need a balance” would be more natural as “children need a balance between…” with the relationship completed clearly. Missing spaces after sentence-ending punctuation and the stray comma in “These ,methods” also affect accuracy. Review subject–verb agreement and proofread sentence boundaries and punctuation. Greater accuracy across these structures would make the argument easier to follow.

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