Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-23

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)

People are opiniated about the focus on formal learning by primary schools.Different suggestion are given on the basis of agreement and disagreement on the topic. At the end of the day, it entirely depend upon the individual wether they reject the idea or not.I totally agree with the statement after going through primary school and teaching their as a teacher.

In my opinion, primary schools mostly are concerned with formal learning rather then informal teaching methods.For example the course work or syllabus is too much that a child can only cover this in the study year leaving with less time for co-curricular activities.The exams are planned for every month which drains most of the time which can be utilize for extra activities in school.

The schools should plan the syllabus in such effective manner that it should contain all the things icluding activities, festive celebrations, study course etc.

It is very important for students to play and study simultaneously.The education and lesiure should go hand in hand for the better progress of students.I believe the students should be given equal opportunities to enjoy and study together. They should be train to strike a balance between studying and enjoying their lifes.

Moreover government authorities and education departments should induce such programes that enable schools to promote the informal learning methods.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You give a clear overall position—“I totally agree”—and address both the concern about formal learning and the importance of play. The examples of a heavy syllabus and monthly exams are relevant, and you suggest including activities and celebrations in the school programme. However, the response is under the required 250 words, and several ideas remain brief or general. For instance, you say play and study should go “hand in hand” but do not explain how play supports children’s learning or give a specific example from your teaching experience. The opening also spends space on the fact that people have different opinions rather than developing your argument. Add concrete classroom examples and explain the benefits of play to develop the response more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, discussion of formal learning, a paragraph on balancing study and play, and a final recommendation. Linking expressions such as “For example” and “Moreover” help signal relationships between ideas. However, progression is not consistently clear: the opening repeats the idea of agreement and disagreement before stating your own view, while the final sentence introduces government programmes without explaining how they connect to the preceding classroom suggestions. Some sentences also group several points together, making the argument feel list-like. Use each paragraph to develop one main point, connect examples explicitly to that point, and make the conclusion summarise your position rather than introduce a new recommendation.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “formal learning,” “syllabus,” “co-curricular activities,” and “informal learning methods.” These choices make the subject clear, and phrases such as “strike a balance” show an attempt to use less common language. However, the range is limited and several word choices or spellings are inaccurate, including “opiniated,” “lesiure,” and “programes.” Some expressions are also unnatural or imprecise, such as “the course work … is too much” and “induce such programes.” These errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your main points, but they reduce precision. Build a wider set of accurate collocations for describing curriculum, play-based learning, and children’s development, and proofread spelling.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, and the main message is generally understandable. However, errors occur frequently in basic sentence construction and in attempts at complex structures. Examples include “it entirely depend” instead of “it entirely depends,” “rather then” in the comparison, and “They should be train” instead of “They should be trained.” There are also problems with articles, agreement, and punctuation, as in “primary schools mostly are concerned” and the missing space after the full stop in “schools.Different.” The range of structures is limited, and these recurring errors sometimes make the reader pause. Practise accurate subject–verb agreement, passive forms, and sentence boundaries before adding more complex clauses.

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