Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-20

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)

Nowadays, many citizens, whether they are students or professionals, need to leave their own country for the sake of a rewarding career or higher studies. Consequently, they are supposed to converse in the language of that respective country, which is new to them, and this may raise numerous serious social problems, such as failure to mix with peers, hesitation and difficulty in adapting to the culture, and multiple practical problems, i.e. difficulty in buying necessities from the market, talking to any visa officer in any government sector, or difficulty in following the professor in the classroom, because they are not very fluent in that foreign language. In this essay, we will discuss "are these really the problems which cannot be resolved". I firmly believe that these issues fully depend upon how a person deals with them. For instance, a student who just moved abroad for higher studies will, no doubt, hesitate to approach other national students for the first time, but he can tackle this by pushing himself out of his comfort zone and starting a new conversation with one of the national students. As a result, within some time his hesitation will disappear, and after a certain period he will also become proficient in the language of that country.

At the same time, research shows that facing practical problems is one of the major concerns for foreigners, because when they need to deal with official tasks, which are no longer optional for them. For example, talking to the institute's administration for any query. They usually fail to convey their message properly.

In conclusion, I would say, no doubt, foreigners face both practical and social problems when they are forced to converse in a language other than their mother tongue. But if they use a proper strategy, which can involve not limiting themselves, they can cope with these issues in the best way possible.

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 is uneven. While the social aspect is supported with a relevant example of a student adapting to a new environment, the practical aspect is under-developed. The second paragraph is quite brief and lacks a concrete example of how one might overcome these specific administrative hurdles. The position is clear throughout, but the essay would benefit from a more balanced exploration of the two areas mentioned in the prompt. To reach a higher band, ensure that both sides of the argument receive equal depth of analysis and supporting evidence.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'consequently', 'for instance', and 'in conclusion' are used effectively to guide the reader. However, the transition between the second paragraph and the conclusion is somewhat abrupt, and the paragraphing could be more balanced. The second body paragraph is quite short, which affects the overall flow of the argument. Referencing is generally clear, though some sentences are slightly repetitive in structure. Overall, the progression of ideas is easy to follow, meeting the requirements for a band 6.5 or 7.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their meaning clearly. There is an attempt to use less common items such as 'proficient', 'tackle', and 'convey their message'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a reliance on simpler phrasing. Some collocations are slightly unnatural, such as 'talking to any visa officer in any government sector'. To improve, the student should focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and refining collocations to sound more natural and sophisticated. The current range is sufficient but lacks the flexibility required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While there are some error-free sentences, there are also recurring grammatical issues, such as the awkward phrasing in the introduction: 'In this essay, we will discuss "are these really the problems which cannot be resolved"'. Punctuation is generally functional, but there are minor errors in sentence construction and article usage. The control of complex structures is inconsistent; some sentences are quite long and slightly convoluted. To achieve a higher score, the student should focus on increasing the frequency of error-free complex sentences and improving overall grammatical precision.

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

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