Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-24

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 important that every primary school should focus on formal learning as well as playing. Both should be provided equally for the improvement of the student.

Some of the schools focus more on formal learning, it has many advantages as well as disadvantages. The advantages are that students can get more into studies and they can focus. As they spend more time in studing they can remember subjects which they learn. Also studnets can develope a habit of studing. The disadvantage is some of the students cannot study for a long period of time. Those students cannot stay active without a sports or other physical activites. When those students play sports and then go to study feel active. Too much formal learning can make a student hate the subject or even learning. School should also focus on practical learning too. For example, even i cannot stay active to study if i don't actively involve in sports.

Few other schools give equal importance to both learning books and physical activites. It has prospect and cons too. When a student is more focused on sports or physical activites, they may lose interest in studying the subject. Those students might become more playfull. It will become really hard for them to focus on the subject. So if a students is active in sports means they should be having a limit. Playing also have many advantages as it helps students to stay active and focus more on the subject. Practical learning will help those students who feel lazy to study all day.

On concluding, i would say there should be balance between learning and physical activites. Both are important for a students improvement.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You give a relevant overall position: schools should balance formal learning and play, and you discuss possible benefits and drawbacks of both. This addresses the main topic, but the two questions are not answered equally fully. The importance of play in the classroom is suggested through comments about staying active and focusing, yet the explanation remains general and does not clearly show how play supports children’s learning. Your examples are also limited: the personal example about needing sports is relevant, but it is not developed, and the discussion of practical learning is not clearly distinguished from physical activity. Develop each main reason with a specific classroom example and make your degree of agreement explicit throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion, and the reader can follow the broad contrast between formal study and physical activity. However, progression within the paragraphs is uneven. The second paragraph moves from advantages to disadvantages and then to practical learning without clearly linking these points; the next paragraph repeats the balance argument while introducing another set of pros and cons. Connect each paragraph to one central idea, and use clearer transitions to show how examples support it. Some linking phrases, such as “It has prospect and cons too,” are vague, while repeated use of “students” and “those students” makes the flow mechanical.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “formal learning,” “physical activities,” “sports,” and “focus.” However, the range is limited and several words or phrases are repeated, particularly “students,” “study,” and “active.” Some choices are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “It has prospect and cons too,” “more into studies,” and “a limit,” which can make the intended meaning less precise. Spelling errors such as “studing,” “studnets,” “develope,” and “playfull” also reduce accuracy. Build a wider set of natural expressions for classroom learning and play, and check spelling and collocations during revision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

Most sentences use straightforward structures, and the main message is generally understandable. There are attempts at longer sentences, but these often contain errors that make the relationships between ideas unclear. For example, “When those students play sports and then go to study feel active” lacks a clear subject and has an incomplete construction; “if a students is active” has an agreement error; and “Playing also have many advantages” has incorrect subject–verb agreement. Articles, plurals and sentence boundaries also need attention, as in “there should be balance” and the comma splice in “Some of the schools focus more on formal learning, it has many advantages.” Practise accurate complex sentences and proofread agreement and punctuation.

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