Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-07

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)

It is undeniable that language plays a crucial role in linking people together all around the world. In this regard it is believed that living in country where the native language is not familiar can cause serious social and practical problems. I agree up to large extent with this notion due to many reasons which will be outlined in the forthcoming fragments with a logical conclusion.

To commence with, there are several problems that can be caused due to the language barrier. First and foremost is that language barrier can cause many social and communication problems. To explain it, it would be difficulty to interact with other people and cannot get to know about their culture and traditions. People will find difficult to do simple tasks such as going to market and buying anything or a visit to doctor. Secondly, because of language difference it would be problem in making friends. To write more, person will feel lonely if he has no one to talk to and feel isolated and get intom depression.

However, there are many ways by which language barrier can be broken as internet help can be taken. To justify it, there are many apps through which new languages can be learned or there is an option by which language can be translated. Moreover, local guide can be hired for short time to learn about the basics and to get used to to the surroundings.

In conclusion, although there are many problems that a language barrier can create such as communication issues and lonliness yet the solution can be implimented to cope up with such issues.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by acknowledging both social and practical problems. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention social isolation and practical difficulties like shopping or visiting a doctor, these points are not fully extended with specific examples or deeper analysis. The position is clear, but the argument remains at a general level. To improve, you should provide more detailed explanations or concrete scenarios to support your claims, ensuring that the 'extent' of your agreement is explored more thoroughly throughout the body paragraphs.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices such as 'To commence with', 'First and foremost', and 'In conclusion'. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly unnatural, such as 'To write more' or 'To justify it'. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring they are used in a more natural, sophisticated way will help elevate your score in this criterion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on basic phrasing, such as 'get into depression' or 'do simple tasks'. There are also some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'implimented' (spelling) and 'cope up with'. To achieve a higher score, you should aim to use more precise, academic vocabulary and collocations that demonstrate a better command of the language, moving away from repetitive or overly simplistic expressions.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as missing articles ('a country', 'a doctor'), subject-verb agreement issues ('internet help can be taken'), and awkward phrasing ('it would be difficulty'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are persistent throughout the text. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, particularly the use of articles and prepositions, and try to incorporate more complex structures with greater accuracy.

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

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