Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-26

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 reported that primary school especially in our country just focus on traditional learning and this system retained students to just memorize by rote. From my perspective, I completely agree with this that these schools have make students just a learning dummy and they even do not try solve different simple and complex problems.

I argue that in our country most of the schools had once made a syllabus for their all sections of classes which is using for almost twenty plus years means they are all outdated study schemes that are still applying on the students nowadays. It means that students are studying that syllabus which is studied even by our ancestors. Means they do not ready to learning for their modern society. This will block their mind and they don't think about new creative and they are all satisfied with formal lifestyle. In my opinion, primary schools have to introduce a new scheme of study which influences students to build problem solving skills from the basics. This will create a strong mindset in growing youth and they have determined to build something that really pays of their hard work not only by learn by heart but also create innovations.

I consider that it is responsibility of schools to develop modern and current skills in new generation. For instance if a student have skills like AI automation, basics of typing, excel and different simple core programming skills then he is able to produce a handsome amount of pay which is impossible in these days. In contrary, if someone doesn’t have simple skills from the primary education than he or she is not able to build a new startup or something like innovations to serve for their country.

So, I completely disagree with the focus of mostly primary schools to taught students like in a formal rote learning style.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

Your position is clear: you agree that primary schools rely too heavily on formal, rote learning, and you give reasons such as outdated syllabuses and limited problem-solving practice. However, the response only partially addresses the full task. It does not directly explain how important play is alongside learning, and the examples about AI, typing and programming focus more on future employment than on children’s classroom experience. The claim that these skills could produce “a handsome amount of pay” is also not clearly connected to primary education. To strengthen the response, discuss specific ways play supports learning—for example, cooperative games developing communication or hands-on activities encouraging curiosity—and explain how schools can balance these with formal lessons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from your opinion to reasons and then an example, and phrases such as “For instance” and “In contrary” attempt to guide the reader. However, progression is uneven: the discussion of outdated syllabuses is repeated in several forms, while the second question about play is not developed. Some links are unclear, particularly the move from primary-school skills to earning money or starting a business. The repeated use of “It means” and “In my opinion” also makes cohesion feel mechanical. Organise the body around distinct points, use clear references to connect ideas, and make each example directly support the paragraph’s main claim.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “rote,” “syllabus,” “problem solving skills,” “creative” and “innovations,” which helps communicate your concerns about traditional schooling. There are also attempts at more specific language, such as “AI automation” and “core programming skills.” However, word choice and collocation are often inaccurate or unnatural, sometimes making the intended meaning harder to follow: “learning dummy,” “formal lifestyle,” and “a handsome amount of pay” are examples. Some expressions are also repeated rather than varied. Aim for precise, natural academic phrasing, such as describing students as relying on memorisation or saying that a curriculum is outdated. Check word forms too: “creative” should be “creativity” in this context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentence forms, including clauses beginning with “which” and “if,” but complex sentences are often difficult to control. Errors in verb forms and agreement occur frequently, as in “schools have make,” “a student have,” and “they do not ready.” Articles and sentence construction also need attention: “primary school especially in our country” lacks clear grammatical framing, while “Means they do not ready to learning” is not a complete, well-formed sentence. These errors sometimes make the reader pause to interpret your meaning. Practise building accurate sentences with a clear subject and verb, and check tense, agreement and infinitive or gerund forms. Shorter, correctly punctuated sentences would improve clarity while you develop more complex structures.

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