Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-18

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)

Formal learning is the main drawback that every student face in real life because it do not help students to develop their own idea or work in a profession that suits him. Some individuals insist that primary schools aims too much on formal learning. This esssay will discuss the disadvantges of formal learning and also the play for childrens with studies in the classroom.

On the one hand, people argue that primary school have too much focus on formal learning which is planned already.I completely agree with this statement given by the individuals. Formal learning have too much drawbacks one of them is that it kills the ability of creativity in students because they have to do the things that have been provided to them and are not allowed to do anything which is not relevant. In this type of studies students do not put pressure on their minds because they have to memorize the syllabus being provided.

It is very important for students to play with their studies in classroom because it develops the ability of creativity in their social and student life. For instance, our primary school never had formal studies when we were at schools they had given us the time to play in the school park. All of the students had 30mins to 1hour time for play in which we played football, cricket and badmintan. We also had the vocabulary play in class every day so it made our mind more creative.

In coclusion, focus on primary st

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You give a clear view that you agree formal learning is overemphasised, and you address both the drawbacks of formal study and the value of play. The examples of football, cricket and vocabulary games make the discussion relevant to primary classrooms. However, the response only partly develops the task: the claim that formal learning limits creativity is repeated rather than explained in depth, and the opening claim about students’ future professions is not connected to supporting evidence. The second question asks how important play is alongside learning, but the answer does not clearly explain how schools should balance the two. The conclusion is also cut off, so it does not restate your position or bring the ideas together. Develop each point with a clear explanation and a complete conclusion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has an identifiable introduction, a paragraph about formal learning, a paragraph about play, and the start of a conclusion. This gives the reader some organisation, and phrases such as “On the one hand” and “For instance” signal relationships between ideas. However, progression is limited: the first body paragraph ends without a clear link to the next point, and the conclusion stops at “In coclusion, focus on primary st,” leaving the overall argument unfinished. Some connections are also unclear, such as “play with their studies,” which does not precisely express the relationship between play and learning. Plan a complete sequence—position, reason, example, and implication in each body paragraph—and use linking phrases only where they clarify that sequence.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “formal learning,” “creativity,” “memorize the syllabus,” and “vocabulary play,” and the examples help make your meaning understandable. However, the range is limited and several phrases are repetitive or imprecise, including repeated use of “formal learning” and “students.” Some word choices and collocations make the argument harder to follow: “play with their studies” is unclear, while “kills the ability of creativity” is not natural English. Spelling errors such as “esssay,” “disadvantges,” “badmintan,” and “coclusion” also reduce accuracy. Build a wider set of precise expressions for classroom learning and play, and check spelling and collocations during revision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, including a reason-and-result structure in “because it develops the ability of creativity.” However, the range is limited, and errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences difficult to read. Examples include subject–verb agreement in “every student face” and “primary schools aims,” and verb-form errors in “it do not help” and “Formal learning have.” Articles and sentence boundaries also need attention: “primary school have too much focus” lacks a clear article or plural form, and “planned already.I” needs spacing and punctuation. The final sentence is incomplete. Practise checking agreement, verb forms, articles, and punctuation, then use a few controlled complex sentences to express cause, contrast, and examples.

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