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)

According to few individuals , there is too much formal learning practiced in the primary schools. I fully agree to that statement because it is as important as playing in the classrooms.

Primary schools focus too much on on formal learning but it is very important for children to play as well as learn and this is due to several reasons. Firstly, students of primary classes are of younger age and they are not habitual towards studying for hours either in the school or at home. Secondly, students of primary school does not know about much about learning or studying and also they wil get bored and angry by continous studying.

To help students in learning and making their mind sharper, teachers should balance their studies and playing time. In this age, they should be introduced with small mind games in the classroom to boost their mood and also these problem solving games would help in their studies as well. For an instance, if children are not interested in doing maths problems in the classroom then teachers should make them play a maths problem solving game to make them feel more interested. This approach will help students to sit for hours for playinng games and studying in the classroom and also helps teachers in handling the students.

In conclusion, primary school students shoukd be handled properly as they cannot sit hours for studying and can get easily bored and angry. However, introducing puzzle games and problem solving games can make them feel more interested and happy.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

Your position is clear: you fully agree that primary schools give too much attention to formal learning, and you explain why play should accompany study. The examples of mind games and a maths game are relevant and show how play could support learning. However, the reasons are only briefly developed: for instance, the claim that children become “bored and angry” could be supported with a clearer explanation or a specific example. The response also does not fully explore how important play is beyond its usefulness for academic work. The required minimum is not met: the response is 248 words, two words short, and eight words copied from the task prompt were not counted. Develop the explanation and add a relevant detail to meet the requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, a body paragraph explaining the value of play, a practical example, and a conclusion. Sequencing words such as “Firstly,” “Secondly,” and “In conclusion” help signal the stages of the argument. However, progression is limited because several points repeat the same idea that children cannot study for long and become bored. The opening body paragraph also combines reasons and the main claim without clearly separating them, while the next paragraph moves to solutions. Some links are mechanical, particularly the repeated use of “and also.” Organise each paragraph around one main point, then explain it and connect it explicitly to your position. This would make the argument easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “formal learning,” “mind games,” “problem solving,” and “classroom.” However, the range is limited and several phrases are repetitive or imprecise, such as “students of primary school” and “sit for hours for playing games and studying.” There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “continous,” “playinng,” and “shoukd,” which reduce the accuracy and polish of the writing. Some word combinations are unnatural, for example “make their mind sharper” and “boost their mood.” Aim for more precise, natural expressions and check spelling carefully. Using a wider range of vocabulary for learning, attention, and child development would help you express the ideas more effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, including a conditional example beginning “if children are not interested,” and the main meaning is generally understandable. However, control is uneven, especially in longer sentences. For example, “students of primary school does not know” has a subject–verb agreement error, and “they wil get bored” has an incorrect verb form. The opening sentence also has an awkward construction: “I fully agree to that statement because it is as important as playing” does not clearly connect the agreement to the intended comparison. There are errors with articles, plurals, and sentence punctuation as well. Practise building accurate complex sentences and check that subjects and verbs agree; clearer sentence boundaries will also make your reasoning easier to understand.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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