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?
Sample Response
There is a common concern that primary education has become overly academic, with children spending too much time on formal subjects and too little on other activities. I largely agree that this imbalance can occurthis can happen, especially where schools are judged mainly by test results. In my view, play is an essential componentpart of classroom learning rather than simply a break from it.
Primary schools must, of course, teachmust of course teach pupils basic literacy and numeracy. These skills provide a foundation for later learninggive children access to later learning and should not be neglected. However, a timetable dominated by worksheets, tests and teacher-led lessons may not suit young learnersmay be unsuitable for young learners. At this age, many children find it difficult to sit still and concentrate for long periods. If they are repeatedly asked to memorise facts or complete exercises, they may become anxious about school and lose their natural curiosity. Pressure on teachers to improve examination performance can intensify this imbalancemake this situation worse, because subjects such as art, music and practical activities are sometimes treated as less valuable.
Play has several educational benefitsseveral important educational benefits. Through games, role play and building activities, children can practise language and mathematics in meaningful situations. For example, a class shop can teach counting, communication and cooperation at the same time. Free or guided play also develops social skillsabilities: pupils learn to share materials, solve disagreements and accept rules. These skills are difficult to developThese experiences are difficult to gain from a textbook alone. Furthermore, active tasks allow teachers to notice children who are quiet or who struggle with conventional written work, so they can provide support earlierso support can be provided earlier.
In conclusion, formal instruction is necessary in primary school, but an excessive focus on it is likely to limit both enjoyment and development. Play should therefore be included regularly in classroom life, since it supports academic progress as well as creativity, confidence and social skills.
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response is strongest in its clear, consistent position and relevant explanation of how play supports both academic and social development. Its main limitation is that the case against excessive formal learning relies mostly on general claims, so the highest-priority improvement is to develop one precise classroom example showing how a play-based approach can achieve a formal learning objective more effectively.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The response addresses both questions directly, maintains a clear position, and develops its main ideas with relevant explanation and examples.
Strengthen the argument further by developing one more precise comparison between excessive formal instruction and purposeful play.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas progress logically through well-focused paragraphs, with cohesive devices used naturally and without drawing attention to themselves.
Make the relationship between the two body paragraphs even sharper by explicitly linking the drawbacks of formal instruction to the benefits of play.
Lexical Resource
A wide and precise vocabulary is used naturally, including effective educational terms and consistently appropriate collocations.
Refine the lexical range further by replacing a few broad terms such as activities and abilities with more context-specific wording.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The response uses a wide range of complex structures accurately, with consistently controlled punctuation and sentence formation.
Maintain this strong accuracy while adding occasional greater variation in sentence openings and emphasis structures.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
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?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.