Formal Learning and Play in Primary Schools

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?

5 sample answers, estimated Band 7.0–8.0. Your turn?

Write it first, then read the sample answers and reviews below. You'll see the gap at once.

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From essays on this question

Essay ideas: Formal Learning and Play in Primary Schools

WhyThis is aTwo-part question — it asks two separate questions in one prompt.

SoWe split the ideas intoQuestion 1(answers the first question)andQuestion 2(answers the second question).

Question 1

8 ideas

Question 2

12 ideas

Same question · Different responses

Sample responses and feedback

Response 01

Must fixSuggested

Essay · 310 words · 4 paragraphs · 15 comments

Score details

Response 01
Estimated band7.0/ 9

Overall assessment

The response addresses both questions directly, maintaining a clear and consistent position supported by relevant explanation and a concrete example from Nigeria. Its strongest aspect is this sustained relevance and logical development across paragraphs. The main limitation is recurring grammatical and word-form errors, such as 'sitted' and 'theirselves', that occasionally strain accuracy though not meaning.

TR

Task Response

The essay answers both parts of the question with a clear position, developed main ideas, and a relevant supporting example, though some points remain somewhat repetitively expressed.

7.0
CC

Coherence and Cohesion

Paragraphing is logical and progression is clear throughout, with mostly effective cohesion, although some linkers are used mechanically at sentence openings.

7.0
LR

Lexical Resource

Vocabulary is sufficiently wide and mostly appropriate for the argument, with occasional imprecise or non-standard choices such as 'jovial' and 'civil subjects'.

7.0
GRA

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

A range of sentence structures is attempted with generally clear meaning, but a sentence fragment, a comma splice, missing infinitive markers and forms like “sitted” and “theirselves” limit grammatical control.

6.0

What to work on next

Check sentence boundaries and the pattern “allow + object + to-infinitive”, then correct nonstandard forms such as “sitted” and “theirselves” and imprecise subject names.

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Useful vocabulary: Formal Learning and Play in Primary Schools

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Sentence patterns: Formal Learning and Play in Primary Schools

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Part 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write at least 250 words.

Words: 040:00 starts on first word