Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-15

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)

It is widely believed that primary schools prioritize formal teaching over keeping children at ease. In my opinion, primary schools often adopt a formal learning approach, which can significantly affect students' foundational learning and seriousness toward education.

To begin with, schools are responsible for creating a base of education for students. It is very essential that child's foundation structure should be strong enough to grow further in education. This is particularly evident in students whose background of primary learning is quite informal; children tend to struggle with higher secondary studies when the syllabus is much more than in primary schools.

Beyond this, it is essential to inculcate seriousness of education since the genesis. Informal teaching will make children more lean towards prioritizing playing over education, one of the main reasons is that child is not aware of the strictness in school. A clear example of this is, a child may not be given school assignments in early learning, which can be a growing concern about a child's seriousness towards their studies, and this can account largely in higher education.

Ultimately, I would argue that primary schools ought to approach formal education over letting children go at ease.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You give a clear overall view that primary schools should emphasise formal education, and you offer relevant reasons about building a foundation and preparing children for later study. However, the response does not fully answer both parts of the question: it does not explain how important play is alongside learning or describe how classroom play could support children. The claim that informal teaching makes children prioritise play is asserted rather than supported, and the example about assignments is not developed. The response is also 53 words below the required minimum, which limits the space available to explain and illustrate your ideas. Address both questions directly and extend each reason with a specific example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, two body paragraphs signposted by “To begin with” and “Beyond this,” and a concluding sentence. The ideas generally follow a logical sequence from foundational learning to preparation for later education. However, the progression is sometimes mechanical, and links within sentences are not always clear. For example, “Informal teaching will make children more lean towards prioritizing playing over education, one of the main reasons is…” joins two claims without a clear grammatical or logical connection. The conclusion repeats the preference for formal education rather than drawing together the discussion of learning and play. Use clearer links between claims and examples, and organise the body around both parts of the prompt.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use an adequate range of topic-related vocabulary, including “foundational learning,” “higher secondary studies,” “syllabus,” and “assignments.” These choices help communicate your main points, and you attempt more formal expressions such as “inculcate seriousness.” However, several phrases are inaccurate or unnatural, which reduces precision: “keeping children at ease,” “foundation structure,” “since the genesis,” and “more lean towards” do not express your intended ideas naturally. “Formal” and “informal” are also repeated without enough variation. Aim for accurate collocations and vocabulary that directly describes classroom learning and play, such as “establish a strong academic foundation” or “learning through play.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a relative clause in “students whose background of primary learning is quite informal” and a conditional example beginning “a child may not be given…”. Most of your meaning remains understandable, and punctuation generally separates the main ideas. Some grammatical errors remain, however. In “It is very essential that child's foundation structure should be strong enough,” the article and clause construction are problematic; “a child’s foundation should be strong” would be clearer. The sentence beginning “Informal teaching will make…” also contains a comma splice between two independent claims. Review articles and sentence boundaries, and vary complex structures while checking that each clause is complete.

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