Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-20

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)

Some people believe that depending only on formal learning is not helpful for students in primary school. Schools should focus on children playing as well as learning in class.

I agree with this statement, as children learn fast when they play. Students in primary school are too young to bear the academic pressure. For their better learning, academics as well as playing should be combined. For example, if teachers focus on children to focus on just learning ABC without a break to play with other children, the student will definitely not be able to learn because this is too much pressure for him. He needs some time to freshen up his mind.

Playing with other children makes the student feel refreshed, and he learns fast. Playing with other children also develops some important skills in children, like teamwork, problem-solving, discipline, and social interaction. If a school just focuses on academic stuff, the child will be unable to develop these important social skills.

Primary school students mostly learn things when they are playing. They need time to rest. A time to take their mind off the hectic routine and feel like themselves. Only those students who have some other extracurricular activities.

In conclusion, the benefits of learning along with playing are more than just learning itself. Primary schools should combine both in order for better education of children.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

Your position is clear: you agree that primary pupils should play as well as study, and you give relevant reasons, including reduced academic pressure and the development of teamwork and social skills. However, the response addresses the task only partially because the reasons are asserted more than developed, and the second question—how important play is within the classroom—could be answered more directly. The example about learning the ABC without a break supports your view, but its explanation is brief; the paragraph beginning “Primary school students mostly learn things when they are playing” also ends with an incomplete, unclear point about extracurricular activities. The response is 23 words below the required minimum. Develop each main idea with a fuller explanation or a specific example, and make the importance of classroom play explicit.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an opening position, supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion that restates the main view. Ideas about pressure and social development are grouped sensibly, and linking phrases such as “For example” and “In conclusion” help signal the direction of the argument. However, progression is uneven: the paragraph starting “Primary school students mostly learn things when they are playing” repeats earlier points about play and rest, then ends with the fragment “Only those students who have some other extracurricular activities,” which leaves the connection unclear. Repeated references to “playing with other children” also make cohesion feel mechanical. Give each paragraph a distinct purpose, connect examples to the claim they support, and remove or complete the unfinished point.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough relevant vocabulary to communicate your main ideas, including “academic pressure,” “teamwork,” “problem-solving,” and “social interaction.” These terms suit the topic and show some range beyond basic references to learning and play. However, much of the wording is repetitive or imprecise: “learn fast” appears more than once, while “academic stuff” is informal for an academic essay. Phrases such as “focus on children to focus on just learning ABC” are awkward and make the intended meaning less clear. Aim for more precise collocations and vary repeated words, while keeping the language natural. For example, you could describe play as supporting learning and social development rather than repeatedly saying that children learn fast.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You communicate your position using a mix of simple sentences and some longer structures, including the conditional example beginning “if teachers focus…” and the sentence explaining that play “also develops some important skills.” Most of the central meaning remains understandable. However, control is inconsistent in longer sentences, and some structures are incomplete or awkward. “If teachers focus on children to focus on just learning ABC” contains a faulty construction, while “Only those students who have some other extracurricular activities” is a sentence fragment with no main clause. The opening sentence also uses an unclear structure with “depending only on formal learning.” Practise building complete sentences with a clear subject and main verb, and check that clauses introduced by “if” are followed by a complete result.

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