Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-11-12

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Living in a country where you have to speak a foreign language can cause serious social problems, as well as practical problems.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

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

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Struggling in speaking a native language while living in a foreign country can cause social and practical issues. I completely agree with this statement because it can cause problems in buying goods for survival and employment opportunities.

People who live in another country face significant challanges in buying goods for living. This is because they struggle in speaking the language of a international country. As a result, they feel difficulty in purchasing goods such as food for eating. For example, my brother faced serious problems in shopping when he travelled to China for his studies. He could not buy things because he was unable to speak language and every label on food items were in Chinese. That is why individuals face considerable issues while residing in a different country.

Additionally, without speaking a foreign language can also cause problems in jobs. This demonstrates that it affects international students in finding career opportunities even in on campus positions. For instance, I had a chance to study in France for my undergraduae studies, and I could not find a job in my university. This was because I did not know the French. As a consequence, I had to manage my expenses on my own without a job. If I learned French during my high school, I would get an employment France. Therefore, a foreign language can also cause practical issues if you do not speak.

In conclusion, a foreign language can create issues in survival and job opportunities if someone is unable to speak while living.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

Your position is clear from the opening: you completely agree, and you focus on practical difficulties with shopping and employment. The examples about your brother in China and your own experience in France make the response relevant and help illustrate both areas. However, the task asks about serious social problems as well as practical ones, and social effects are not really discussed. The two main ideas are also only partly developed: for example, the shopping example explains difficulty reading labels, but not wider consequences, while the employment point could explain more fully how language limits access to work. Addressing both types of problems and extending each explanation would make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, two body paragraphs presenting separate practical problems, and a conclusion that restates your view. Linking expressions such as “As a result,” “Additionally,” and “For instance” help readers follow the examples and explanations. This logical arrangement is a strength. Some connections are nevertheless mechanical or unclear. For example, “This demonstrates that it affects international students” does not clearly identify what “it” refers to, and “That is why” repeats the preceding cause-and-effect link rather than adding a new step. The conclusion also repeats the main point without drawing the two examples together. Use more precise referencing and make each sentence advance the paragraph’s reasoning.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate your main points, including “employment opportunities,” “purchasing goods,” “career opportunities,” and “expenses.” Some choices show an attempt to be specific, such as “on campus positions.” However, the range is limited and several phrases are unnatural or imprecise, which makes parts of the argument less clear. “Buying goods for living” and “food for eating” are awkward, while “speak a native language” does not express the intended idea of speaking the local language. There are also spelling errors, including “challanges” and “undergraduae.” Build a bank of natural collocations for daily life, language barriers, and employment, and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple sentences and longer cause-and-effect structures, and the main message is generally understandable. Some sentence patterns are controlled, such as “He could not buy things because he was unable to speak…” However, complex structures are not consistently accurate. “Without speaking a foreign language can also cause problems” lacks a clear grammatical subject; “every label … were” has a subject–verb agreement error; and “If I learned French … I would get” does not use the appropriate conditional form for the past situation described. Articles and prepositions also need attention, as in “speak language” and “employment France.” Practise checking each sentence for a clear subject and verb, then review agreement, articles, and conditional forms.

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

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