Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-11

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 6.5)

In contemporary society, it has been seen that, settling abroad where foreign language has to be spoken can result in sever social and practical problems. In my opinion, I completely agree with this because interpersonal relationships can be difficult to create, plus it can also result in tension if disagreements arise. These points will be explained in the following paragraphs with relevant examples followed by a logical conclusion.

To begin with, living in another country comes with lots of challenges with can be social in nature. Due to language barrier, it can be extremely difficult to build relationships or connections with indigenes as they will not be able to understand the language a foreigner speaks, just as the foreigner is not able to understand the tongue of the locals except the language is learnt. For example, James who is a British and only speaks English travels to Germany without learning German, he found it difficult to make friends throughout his stay.

Furthermore, Tension can arise from disagreement as a result of improper communication especially when there is no adequate interpretation of the language. This can further lead to conflict and fighting. For instance, a communication by a foreigner not properly understood or misunderstood for something bad by the indigenes, they can become violent especially when what was perceived hurt their feelings or ego.

In conclusion, living abroad where a foreign language has to be spoken can result in both social and practical problems because disagreement can occur if misunderstood and interpersonal relationships may also be very difficult to form. It is therefore, important to learn the language of the country intended for travel, in other to reduce the challenges that come with settling in another country.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.5
Coherence and Cohesion7.0
Lexical Resource6.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.0
Overall6.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. The ideas are relevant, focusing on social isolation and the potential for conflict due to misunderstandings. However, the development is somewhat limited. The example of 'James' is a bit simplistic, and the argument regarding conflict could be more nuanced. To reach a higher band, you should aim to expand on the 'practical problems' mentioned in the prompt, such as accessing healthcare, legal services, or employment, which are currently under-explored. The conclusion effectively summarizes the main points and provides a clear recommendation.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. You use some cohesive devices such as 'To begin with,' 'Furthermore,' and 'In conclusion,' which help guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally repetitive. To improve, try to vary your linking words and ensure that the flow between sentences is smoother, particularly when connecting the cause (language barrier) to the specific effect (social/practical problems).

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'contemporary society,' 'interpersonal relationships,' and 'misunderstood.' However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'sever social' (should be 'severe') and 'indigenes' (which is less common in this context than 'locals' or 'native speakers'). The phrase 'except the language is learnt' is also slightly awkward. To achieve a higher score, focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding minor spelling or word-form errors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. Examples include 'challenges with can be social' (should be 'that can be'), 'a British' (should be 'a British man'), and 'in other to' (should be 'in order to'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some issues with comma usage and sentence boundaries. To improve, focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and ensuring that complex sentence structures are grammatically sound.

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

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