Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-08

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In some educational systems, children are required to study one or more foreign languages. In others, foreign language study is not a requirement. What are the potential benefits of foreign language study? 

Do you think foreign language study is an important part of education?

Give reasons for your answer, and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

I personally believe that learning more than one language will always have a positive impact on children. As being monolingual or being fluent in only the mother tongue can be limiting in terms of Education. Because the world is moving with lightening speed and to keep a pace with it we need to move faster.

I say this from my personal experience that being Bilingual or multilingual open doors to many opportunities.

For Example : I am an Indian where the official language is Hindi but we studied in an English medium school which gave us the opportunity to learn a foreign language and be fluent in it. After my studies I applied for jobs and most of the jobs required Bilingual candidates because clients where from Aboard. I went for the interview and fluency test to get hired for the position. And I was pleased to know I was selected because of the command on my foreign language. That is why I am a biggest supporter of learning a new or foreign language which can expands your neurons and beautify your communication skills. Even as a parent I would love kids to learn as many languages as they could from very early in life. As multilingual people always fasinates me.

Where as , on the other hand sometimes I feel that because of the learning foreign language our focus shift more towards the foreign language rather than on our mother tongue, which makes our communication weaker in mother tongue and eventually we lack interests in it making us weak and incapable of good communications.

That is why I feel we should focus on learning the foreign language because it cfreares

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the benefits of foreign language study and the opinion on its importance in education. However, the development is uneven. While the personal example regarding job opportunities is relevant and well-supported, the counter-argument regarding the potential negative impact on the mother tongue is underdeveloped and ends abruptly mid-sentence. The position is clear, but the conclusion is missing, which prevents a fully developed argument. To reach a higher band, ensure all points are explored with equal depth and that the essay reaches a logical conclusion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the flow is hindered by mechanical transitions and incomplete thoughts. The use of cohesive devices is sometimes awkward, such as starting sentences with 'Because' or 'Where as , on the other hand'. Referencing is generally clear, but the abrupt ending of the final paragraph significantly disrupts the coherence of the overall argument. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a complete, logical structure would greatly enhance the readability and flow of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and sophistication. There are several spelling errors, such as 'lightening' (lightning), 'Aboard' (abroad), 'fasinates' (fascinates), and 'cfreares' (incomplete). While the student attempts to use some topic-specific vocabulary like 'monolingual' and 'bilingual', the range is limited. To improve, the student should focus on accurate spelling and expanding their range of collocations to avoid repetitive phrasing and to express ideas with more nuance and academic tone.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'clients where from'), incorrect word forms (e.g., 'can expands'), and sentence fragments (e.g., 'Because the world is moving...'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma placement. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of errors in basic structures prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and sentence completeness is essential.

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

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