How to read the question

• This is a two-part question: you must answer both To what extent do you agree with this opinion and How important do you think it is for children to play as well as learn. Missing either part limits Task Response.
• The first part needs a clear position on whether primary schools focus too much on formal learning, such as lessons, tests, worksheets and sitting at desks.
• The second part asks about importance, so give a judgement such as very important or essential and explain why, not just a description of play.
• Note the phrase play as well as learn: the question does not suggest replacing lessons with play, so a balanced view that combines both is natural.
• The scope is the primary school classroom, so focus on children aged roughly five to eleven and on activities inside school rather than play at home.
• Useful distinctions include free play versus structured, play-based learning, and the different needs of younger and older primary children.

Suggested position

I largely agree that many primary schools now place too much emphasis on formal learning, and I believe play is essential in the classroom because it develops the social, creative and problem-solving skills on which academic success depends.

Paragraph plan

1. 1

   Introduction

   Paraphrase the opinion that primary education is too focused on formal instruction, then answer both questions briefly: you largely agree, and play is essential as long as it is combined with structured teaching.

2. 2

   Body paragraph 1: the first question

   Explain why primary schools focus heavily on formal learning, such as national tests, league tables and pressure from parents, and the effects of this: long periods at desks, stress and loss of enthusiasm. Use an example such as the early start of formal reading in some countries compared with Finland.

3. 3

   Body paragraph 2: the second question

   Argue that play is very important because it develops cooperation, language, creativity and problem-solving, and because play-based activities such as building models or role-play make abstract concepts concrete. Acknowledge that basic literacy and numeracy still need structured teaching.

4. 4

   Conclusion

   Restate both answers: formal learning is often overemphasised, and play should be a regular, planned part of the primary classroom alongside formal lessons.

Ideas and arguments

• National testing and school league tables push teachers to spend more time on test preparation and less on creative or practical activities.
• Ambitious parents often judge schools by early reading and maths results, adding pressure for formal teaching at a young age.
• Long periods of sitting still and completing worksheets can cause young children to lose interest in learning and feel anxious.
• Finland, where formal schooling begins at seven and lessons include frequent breaks and play, still achieves strong educational results.
• Play teaches social skills such as sharing, taking turns, negotiating and resolving conflicts.
• Role-play, building with blocks and games can make abstract ideas concrete, for example using a pretend shop to practise counting money.
• Formal instruction remains necessary for systematic skills such as reading, writing and arithmetic, so play should complement rather than replace it.
• Older primary children may need more formal teaching to prepare for secondary school, so the balance can shift gradually with age.

Band 8+ model answer

306 words · An original model answer written for ieltswrites, not an official answer. It stays in English, as in the exam.

Why this answer scores highly

Task Response

Both questions are answered fully: the essay gives a clear position on the focus on formal learning and a clear judgement that play is essential, each supported by specific reasons and examples, with both answers restated in the conclusion.

Coherence and Cohesion

Each body paragraph answers one question, which makes the structure easy to follow, and cohesive devices such as as a result, for instance and this is not to say link ideas smoothly.

Lexical Resource

Precise education vocabulary such as standardised testing, league tables, play-based learning and literacy and numeracy is used naturally, with accurate collocations such as foster creativity and strike a balance.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

The essay uses a variety of complex structures, including relative clauses, gerund subjects, concessive clauses and passive forms, with consistently accurate grammar and punctuation.

Useful vocabulary

formal learning

structured teaching led by a teacher, usually at desks, with set content and tests

play-based learning

teaching that uses games and play activities to help children learn

the early years

the first stage of a child's education, roughly ages three to seven

rote learning

learning by repeating information until it is remembered, often without understanding

standardised testing

tests given to all pupils in the same way so that results can be compared

league tables

published lists ranking schools by their results

social and emotional development

the growth of a child's ability to manage feelings and relate to others

attention span

the length of time a person can concentrate on something

hands-on activities

tasks in which children learn by doing and handling objects

foster creativity

encourage the development of original ideas

literacy and numeracy

the ability to read and write, and the ability to work with numbers

strike a balance

find a good mix between two different things

curriculum

the subjects and content taught in a school

Common mistakes

• Answering only the first question and saying nothing about how important play is, or answering the second and forgetting to state how far you agree.
• Giving a vague answer to the second question, such as play is good, without saying how important it is or why.
• Arguing that schools should replace lessons entirely with play, which ignores the phrase play as well as learn.
• Writing about play at home, sport after school or secondary education instead of the primary classroom.
• Using the word play repeatedly without varying it with terms such as play-based activities, games or hands-on learning.
• Inventing statistics about children's test scores instead of using realistic examples.

Frequently asked questions

Which Cambridge book is this question from?

This question about whether primary schools focus too much on formal learning and how important play is in the classroom is Writing Task 2 of Test 4 in Cambridge IELTS 21 Academic.

What type of essay is this?

It is a two-part question. You must say how far you agree with the opinion and also explain how important you think play is, ideally giving each question its own body paragraph.

Should I argue that children should only play at school?

No. The question asks about play as well as learning, so the strongest answers argue for a balance in which play supports, rather than replaces, structured lessons.

How many words should I write for this Task 2?

Write at least 250 words; about 270-310 words is usually enough to answer both questions fully in 40 minutes.