Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-01

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 stated that some people argue that primary schools focus too much on formal learning. However, in my opinion, while I believe primary students should learn formal and informal learning methods with balance academic situation. I widely believe this is the most suitable option for primary school children.

Nowadays students have focus to different aspects such as academic, sports, cultural and social activities. Due to these reasons children can develop their formal and informal knowledge effectively. A significan number of people argue children should focus too much on formal learning. These days many children less moving to do physical activites like sports. They only give attention for their studies. This leads to children less active and less enregitic. Besides this, sometimes formal learning methods gets less intresting to the children.

Furthermore, balance foramal and informal learning type is better for all students. For example, if schools can be provide physical activities to the students they can be get enjoy and improve their sports abilities as well. Not only that, if teachers can give group activities to the children they can develop their team management skills, communication skills, collabration and ririlience as well. In addition, government can start awearness program to know about benificts for the informal and formal learning to the schools teachers and management, it can be help for the teachers and students to understaning more effectively.

In summary, these days primary schools mainy focus too much on formal learning. Formal learning is ver importand for all children to develop their future and academic knowledge. At the same time informal learning is partly important for all students to develop their physical and mental health. Although teachers and parents should guide students to balance both academic and physical activites.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both questions and maintain a generally clear view that formal and informal learning should be balanced. Relevant reasons include the risk of children becoming less active when they focus only on study, and the benefits of sports and group work for communication and teamwork. These examples show an understanding of why play matters in primary classrooms. However, the extent of your agreement is not expressed precisely: the opening says you support balance, while the conclusion says schools focus too much on formal learning without clearly explaining how strongly you agree. Some points, such as the proposed government awareness programme, are less developed and do not directly explain the importance of classroom play. Clarify your position and extend your strongest examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion. Ideas are generally grouped by topic, and linking expressions such as “Furthermore,” “For example,” and “In summary” help signal the direction of the discussion. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes difficult to follow because several claims are placed together without clearly showing how one leads to the next. The opening sentence of the second body paragraph, for instance, repeats the idea of balance but does not clearly connect to the preceding discussion. Some transitions are mechanical, and references such as “these reasons” are not fully specific. Use clearer topic sentences and connect each example directly to the point it supports.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of vocabulary for the topic, including “formal and informal,” “physical activities,” “communication skills,” and “team management skills.” These choices help convey the main ideas, and you attempt more specific terms such as “collaboration” and “resilience.” However, spelling errors and inaccurate word choices are noticeable and sometimes make the reader pause, as in “significan,” “enregitic,” “intresting,” and “benificts.” Some phrases are also unnatural, including “give attention for their studies” and “balance academic situation.” Aim for accurate, natural collocations and check spelling carefully. Replacing repeated general wording with precise terms for learning through play would also make the argument clearer and more flexible.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including conditional structures such as “if schools can be provide physical activities” and a concluding contrast beginning “Although.” This shows an effort to vary sentence patterns, but control is inconsistent. Some sentences contain several grammatical problems that obscure the intended relationship between ideas: “if teachers can give group activities to the children they can develop” needs clearer clause structure, while “Formal learning is … important for all children to develop their future” has an unclear grammatical relationship. There are also errors in agreement, verb forms, articles and sentence construction. Practise building accurate conditional sentences and checking that each clause has a clear subject and verb; use shorter sentences when a longer structure becomes difficult to control.

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