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 spoken language plays a major role for a person living in foreign country. In this regard, it is stated that social and practical problems may arise for a person who have to speak a foreign language in the country. I agree up to large extent with this notion due to many reasons which will be outlined in the forthcoming fragments with logical conclusion.

To begin with, the first and foremost problem is opportunities for employment. To explain, it is a fact that in many countries, job priority is given to the native speakers as compared to the immigrants. To cite an example, jobs which require fluent speaking such as call centers, restaurants and so on usually don't hire immigrants due to their level of speaking local language. Secondly, difficulty in social interactions. To elaborate, a person will not be able to indulge in conversations with strangers because of language barrier. In addition, understanding of accent. A person with less knowledge of native language of the country will take time to understand the accent of people. As a result, the person will face social and practical difficulties in that particular nation.

However, there are few points against the given notion. Prime one is that if the person gets able to understand the language he or she will have widespread opportunities in both social and practical fields. As a result the person will be able to support his or her livelihood and indulge in social interactions in that country.

To conclude, although there are several facts and points that support the statement such as difficulties in job, lack of confidence in social interactions yet the points that are against this notion can not be neglected at any cost.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both social and practical problems. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention employment and social interaction, the explanations are brief and rely on generalisations. The counter-argument provided in the third paragraph is relevant but lacks depth, as it simply states that learning the language solves the problems without exploring the nuance of the transition period. To improve, ensure that each main point is supported by a more detailed explanation or a more specific, illustrative example to fully satisfy the requirements of a Band 7 response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into clear paragraphs, and there is a logical progression of ideas. You use cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Secondly', 'In addition', and 'However' to link your points. However, some of the transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. The referencing is generally clear, but the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of cohesive structures rather than relying on standard signposting phrases. The paragraphing is appropriate, which helps the reader follow your argument easily.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'undeniable', 'forthcoming', and 'livelihood'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'gets able to understand' (should be 'becomes proficient in') and 'support his or her livelihood' (which is slightly unnatural). The vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band. To improve, focus on learning collocations and more sophisticated academic phrases to express your ideas more naturally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'a person who have to speak' (should be 'has'), 'in foreign country' (needs an article), and 'the first and foremost problem is opportunities' (which lacks a clear subject-verb agreement regarding the nature of the problem). These errors are frequent but do not impede communication. To reach a higher band, you should aim for more error-free sentences and ensure consistent control over subject-verb agreement and article usage.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.