Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-25

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)

Living in a country where you have to speak a foreign language can have serious problems depending how on fluent are you in that language. It also depends on the people living in the country. If people there are only familiar with their native language then you might have a hard time. But if the people are familiar with your native language or a language which is commonly spoken worldwide, like English, then the problems might be minimal.

Imagine you are from the UK where your native language is English. You are currently living in Germany. The German people are very sensitive about their language. Supermarkets, pharmacies, etc. have their products labelled in German. This becomes difficult for people who don't know German. Also, majority of the people living in Germany only know German. So this make it difficult to communicate with the locals. This can lead to serious social and practical problems. You can feel left out from the society and some people might also treat you in a bad manner.

Now imagine you are living in India. In India, the native language is Hindi. But most of the people learn English in schools so they are familiar with the language. The products sold here are labelled in English. You can also communicate with the locals easily. Living in India won't have many serious problems and it is less likely for people to treat you in a bad manner. Now imagine you live in a country where it is easy to learn their native language. Learning this foreign language can help you communicate and socialise with the locals well. In this way, you won't feel left out. Rather you will feel like you are one of them.

In my opinion, living in a country where you have to speak a foreign language may or may not cause serious social problems, as well as practical problems. It totally depends on the country you live in. If the country respects their own language and are very sensitive about it, you might have to face social and practical problems. But if the country encourages foreign people to live their and majority people speak a language which you are familiar with, then the problems might be minimal.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both social and practical problems associated with living in a foreign-language environment. You maintain a clear position throughout, arguing that the severity of these problems depends on the host country's linguistic landscape. The ideas are relevant and supported by examples, such as the comparison between Germany and India. However, the development is somewhat repetitive, particularly in the conclusion, which restates the introduction rather than synthesizing the arguments. To reach a higher band, ensure that each paragraph adds a new layer of depth or analysis rather than reiterating the same point about 'sensitivity to language'.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, which helps the reader follow your argument. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'Also', 'Now imagine', and 'In this way', to link ideas. However, the transitions between sentences can feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. The use of 'Now imagine' as a paragraph starter is a bit informal for an academic essay. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother flow between sentences would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms like 'fluent', 'native language', 'communicate', and 'socialise'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'treat you in a bad manner' (which is slightly unnatural) and 'live their' (a spelling error for 'there'). While you communicate your ideas clearly, the vocabulary is generally functional rather than sophisticated. To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations and less common academic vocabulary to express your ideas with greater nuance and precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'depending how on fluent are you' (word order), 'this make it difficult' (subject-verb agreement), and 'majority of the people' (missing article). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and word order in interrogative or complex clauses. Increasing the variety of complex structures, such as using more conditional or passive forms, would also help demonstrate better control.

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

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